A Thank You To My Forever Best Friend

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thank you best friend Providence Moms Blog

Let’s face it, making new mom friends can be hard! Fortunately, I have some built-in old friends who are also mom friends. I have known my best friend since I was four. Over the years, we spent endless weekends together and crashed each other’s family vacations on fairly regular basis. The best part of having a best friend you grew up with is that they know where you came from. They know how much you have grown and understand the way you operate. We have survived our awkward years together, celebrated accomplishments, and have assessed failures.  

Of course with most childhood best friends, you cannot guarantee that you will stay in the same place forever. My best friend and I have not lived in the same state for over sixteen years, but we have navigated our long distance friendship quite well. Phone calls and visits have kept us close and no matter how much time passes, we always fall back into our same familiar rhythm. 

My best friend started her family much earlier than I did. While she was juggling multiple children, I was enjoying my late twenties and planning a wedding. However, despite her chaotic schedule and growing responsibilities, she always made time us. We found a way to fit our friendship into our changing lives. I loved being an auntie and going on adventures with her children and I loved watching her be a mom.

Tonight I am prepping to take my own two little girls down to visit her and her family. While it is not my first visit with a child, it is my first solo trip with two for 10 hour car ride.  I am pretty sure at this point I have played out every nightmare I can while prepping for this journey. As I have, I cannot help but feel an immense appreciation to my seasoned best friend.

So, my “love me no matter what” friend, I just wanted to thank you for all the times you have traveled by plane, train, and automobile with multiple children in tow. I know that the travel is stressful, but it did not just end there. You endured many sleepless nights because children do not always adjust new environments. Miraculously, the next day, you were always up for a new adventure.  Additionally, you have always opened your home up to me and rearranged children to accommodate myself and my family. There is never any complaining.

So tomorrow, as I head out, I will try to do so with all the grace and composure you have taught me over the years. I know that my girls are going to have so much fun. I love that we are building so many memories for our children. Over the years, I hope that they will love all the adventure and their auntie as much as I do. Together, my friend,  we will embrace the chaos. Someday we may actually get to enjoy a cup of coffee and chat uninterrupted, but I suspect we will just talk about these days we are experiencing now.  I know that motherhood is not always easy, and we may not get to talk as much as we like, but thank you for making it a little easier. 

thank you best friend Providence Moms Blog

Oh, and thank you in advance for the glass of wine you will have ready for me at the end of this journey. 

 

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Darlene Follett
Darlene is your typical Rhode Islander – she’s never left. She grew up watching Paw Sox games, drinking Dels, and gives directions according to landmarks, most of which no longer exist. She did attend high school in Southeastern Massachusetts, if that counts as leaving, and traveled all the way to South County to attend University of Rhode Island. After four years, she left with degrees in both Elementary Education and English. After college she began teaching and eventually found a home in third grade. Third graders are inquisitive, beginning to exert their own independence, and constantly make her laugh. They put up with her quirky sense of humor and her sobbing throughout read alouds.
Darlene ended up marrying the boy she fell in love with in high school. She and her husband have two daughters, an energetic two year old and the sweetest seven month old. Most days are spent trying to navigate full time jobs, raising two young children, reading, and drinking coffee. She loves to be outdoors and hopes that her girls will love camping, hiking, and kayaking as much as she does.