A Letter to My Child-less Friends {Thank You and I’m Sorry}

To my single and / or childless friends:

Whether you are single or married and don’t have children by choice, I appreciate you staying friends with me during my transition from being your super awesome friend to your mom friend with three boys who drives a minivan complete with obnoxious stickers (I kid, no stickers).

You see, I know how I used to be a really good friend before I had kids. I would email or text you almost daily, meet up for drinks or dinner frequently, and I would even remember your birthday without a Facebook notification! Now, our friendship has drastically changed.

Instead of texts about us or making plans to go out, I am more than likely spamming you with how exhausted I am or with pictures of my kids. Our happy hours or coffee dates are now replaced with maybe quarterly kidless dinners where I hope to not be carrying a diaper bag. And your birthday? Oops, I probably forgot. And now we aren’t celebrating birthdays over margaritas but watching my tot blow out his first birthday candles.

I want to say thank you.

Thank you for putting up with me these past 9 years since I’ve become a mom three times over. You’ve come to baby showers, more birthday parties than I can count, and you’ve probably seen me hooked up to a breast pump more often than you would have wanted to ever see.

While I was learning to be a mom, running on sleepless nights and couldn’t remember the last time I showered, I probably neglected you when you needed me and I’m sorry.

I know you genuinely love me, and I truly cherish our friendship.

While I know my life has changed drastically over the years, one thing that hasn’t is our friendship. More than a few times, when I know you deserved more out of our friendship, you were busy caring about us and liking / commenting on my current Facebook status of my kids. I’m sorry for not asking more about you and your life.

This phase of my life won’t be forever, and soon our chats won’t be while I’m screaming at my kids and can barely get a word in between diaper changes. We will be able to resume our nights out when my kids get a bit older, and I can’t wait. And I know you will be there because you have stayed with me through these tough years.

Thanks for sticking with me through this crazy part of my life … you rock!

P.S. You always give the best gifts!

Mary Olivio
Mary is a caffeine addicted boy mom to Noah, Liam and Luke. This “stay at home” mom can typically been found cruising in her minivan, jamming to Beyonce with a Starbucks in hand on her way to carpool or after school activities. Mary has been married to her high school sweetheart since 2007. She is a founder of Delivering Hope NOLA and the Vanessa Wolff Scholarship Fund at her Alma Mater. Mary is passionate in the local preemie community and has been heavily involved with the March of Dimes since her sons Liam and Luke were born premature.

1 COMMENT

  1. Thank you for this kind of letter…
    I got all the information about the letter I want…
    So try to make some more letters like this and try to make letters like child support and child labour …and some more… ??????

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