“You know what the secret is? It’s so simple. We love one another. We’re nice to one another. Do you know how rare that is?” — Ann Brashares, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Sisterhood of the “hot pants”
Sisterhood of the “diaper pants”
We found our someone special and started a family. Diapers, diapers, diapers! Will there ever be an end? The answer is “yes,” my friend, but you may even find yourself longing for these simpler days once your children are teens. I’m just sayin’
Sisterhood of the “smarty pants”
Sisterhood of the “no pants”
Sisterhood of the “empty nest pants”
To quote my mother, “Empty nest syndrome? What empty nest syndrome?” She loved that my brother and I were on our own finally. That doesn’t mean she didn’t miss us, of course. However, some moms are quite at a loss when their offspring fly the nest. A good friend will hand you her baby for some much needed snuggle time, look at baby albums with you, and hand you a tissue or two (or twelve).
Sisterhood of the ‘Where are my pants?’
I’ve already mentioned a couple of phases that often overlap. This chapter can show up at any time and become increasingly alarming. Don’t worry, you’re totally normal! It’s just “Mom Fog.” Our brains go a million miles a minute, barely registering the details. There are sure to be times when we forget where we put our readers, the bicycle pump, Junior’s application for college . . . This is also when we tend to find random objects in unexplained places. Keys in the freezer – yep. Grocery receipt in the tv cabinet – check! I once found that our TV remote had taken a trip down the laundry chute. I happened to be home alone for several days when this occurred. I wish I was kidding. “Mom Fog” — it’s a real thing. Friends can be a great help. They can help you look for missing objects (Ever “lose” your SUV in a mall parking lot and had the forethought to call a friend for help before you called the cops? I have!), commiserate with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s when the item is deemed gone forever, and rejoice with a second pint when you find it after all.
May we as moms find and nurture the sisterhood of all our friendships.
Can you think of other phases of Sisterhood I’ve missed? Share them in the comments! I’d love to hear your insights!
This post was originally published in 2018.