I can’t thank you enough: A love letter to my village

Life is full of fluctuations, particularly when babies enter your life. Areas of stability are ones to cherish.

Dear friends, you’ve been my rocks during a roller coaster ride of changes. Because of this—you truly are golden treasures.

From day one to year three, I don’t know where I’d be on this wild path of motherhood without you.

So, for everything you’ve offered, I wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for being in it with me from the start.

The day I found out I was pregnant you helped me weave through all those feelings. (And let’s just say, there were a lot of feelings…) You were excited and scared with me. You helped me through my morning sickness and kept me fed, hydrated and upbeat for the entirety.

Thank you for taking care of us.

When these sweet loves finally arrived, you came to nurture us. Not only did you fall in love with my babies, but you re-fell in love with me—your friend who had just taken on a brand new, unfamiliar role of ‘mother.’ You brought us food, you brought us gifts, and most importantly—you brought you.

Thank you for subbing for my partner when work called.

You were there that morning, when my partner went back to work, for the first time, and I was alone with 4 month old twins. You were there to talk me through those days that consisted solely of jiggling and juggling, feeding and napping (for them and me!) and trying to get out the door.

Thank you for saving the day.

I’ll never forget that day where I just barely got out the door with my one year olds, crying from being so bone tired—you went to the store for me and got me what I needed. Plus you gave me a hug, a sympathetic ear and reassured me that this would pass and that I was a great mom. I truly felt like you saved me.

Thank you for always cheering me on.

And all those days at the drops-ins and at the park—you’ve listened to me (judgment free) as I shared my ups and downs and all those mundane in-betweens. You’ve high fived me during my highs—“I drank an entire hot drink today. On my own. Without child paws all over my body!” And you’ve been my shoulder to lean on during the lows—“I feel like I haven’t slept in decades!” You are always there for me and that means more to me than you’ll ever know.

Thank you for seeing me as a person, and not just a mother.

You act as an outlet. As my pillar—of strength, beauty and admiration. I relate to you and I know you feel the same way. After all these years, we can still connect over so many different things—and I’m so proud of that. You offer me a space to be vulnerable and to feel safe. A place to be a mother, but also a full person outside of motherhood.

Thank you for loving my children.

You love my kids like your own—sharing snacks, wiping noses, watching them when I need a bathroom break or to grab a tea. You even wore my babies, in the early days, as we strolled and chatted during naptime.

Thank you for being on the same page as me.

You know that I’m not the same as I was without kids and you’re okay with that. We are all parenting differently. We are all living our lives differently. And it warms my heart to know that we both honor that mutual respect for our differences.

Friends, from the bottom of my swelling heart, thanks for being there. Thanks for helping me be the best mama I could ever be, through all that you do.

As the months roll on, and meet-ups get tougher to manage—through activity schedules, naps and distance—I know the love is there between us, and that’s what truly matters.