Charleston Moms Blog: A Short Story

This is my first contribution to Charleston Moms Blog and in the interest of full disclosure, my eight-year-old ran away today. Yup. He packed a cooler with a box of gluten-free granola bars, four apples and two 20 oz Nalgene bottles of water. (At least he was thinking healthy.) He then put it in a rolling suitcase to make the journey easier. I found him, out of our neighborhood, a little while later. He looked a bit relieved, jumped in the car, and asked, “Mom, do you think this was idiotic?” To which I replied, “Wellll, I think you needed a better plan.” But I think I was talking to myself.

Ladies, do you feel like you are barely keeping your head above water? Like, at least once a day, you fail at something… miserably? Like you should be the one running away? Like, at some point, someone is going to call your bluff and
I have four friends that I affectionately call “my bridesmaids.” They are great listeners and learners. But they know exactly when enough is enough. These girls know when it is time for them to talk or question my choices. Or even question my state-of-mind. I feel quite sure, for better or worse, nothing will be left off the table with these ladies. And if I ever feel judged, it’s my fault. Everything that we speak to one another is out of love.
Have enough relational collateral- Part of why it all works so well with “my bridesmaids” is that we have put in the time with one another. We have walked through death and birth, celebrations and tears. The more investment you have in a person’s life, the deeper the well you have to draw from. In other words, you can say harder, and more direct, things the more involved you have been in each other’s lives. Don’t try to coach a random woman at McDonald’s about breastfeeding. That, my friend, is