A community of women supporting each other through motherhood and beyond.
In just a few months, my oldest child will turn 13. As I try to grasp how my cherub-faced firstborn sped into his teens and suddenly shares my height and his father’s appetite, I can’t help but flashback to the day he was born. It was Sept. 14, 2001.
My husband Jim and I were living in Forth Bragg, N.C., where he was stationed as an Army paratrooper. During a routine training mission on Sept. 11, my husband’s unit received word that America was under attack. Meanwhile, I was in our apartment, nine months pregnant, without any family nearby.
Jim called to tell me they would be on lockdown and not to call him unless I was sure I was in labor.
“Okay,” I thought. “How hard could that be?”
Well, I made that call on Sept. 13, except, I wasn’t sure if it was labor or a bad pizza from the night before, so I said, “I think this is it.” After a harried ride, a big-belly waddle to the ER and 12 hours of labor, our firstborn child, a son, was born.
In the years since, I’ve been co-hosting the morning show on 95.5 The Fish (a Christian radio station) for nearly nine years, we’ve expanded our family to five children, experienced infertility, homeschooling, adoption, a diagnosis of autism, various medical issues and a few minivans.
I may be terrible at completing my child’s baby book and perhaps even once forgot to call the Tooth Fairy, but I’m at peace with that. I think I’ve come along way since then, but it took time and faith. I am blessedly more content with reality (as messy and imperfect as it may be) and who God is calling me to be as a mom.
I believe two things really helped me get to that place. The first is my faith. Experiencing pregnancy and birth was such a profound miracle that it took my breath away. It reminded me that God has a purpose for us all. Little did I know then, that with five children, I would be on my knees in prayer a lot and that faith would be my most powerful anchor.
The second is the gift of friends. My work at The Fish allows me to connect with other women in a way I normally never would have the opportunity. What helped me get comfortable in my “mom skin” was the gift of Godly girlfriends, which it was through that the Mom Squad was born. I saw how common our hurts and hopes were, even if our family dynamics and ages were far different. We laugh, they allow me to share my long-winded toddler tales and together we walk through life, encouraging each other.
Today, the Mom Squad consists of 11 panel members from all walks of life. Our moms include a gourmet chef (clearly not me), a stepmom striving to strengthen her blended family, as well as a money-saving guru mama, a grandmother, a special-needs mom, a military wife and many more.
The Mom Squad has always been there. Good council and good laughs with these women have saved my sanity more than once. In January, we re-launched the ministry and I invite you to be a part of the sisterhood. It’s a place to come if you are looking to connect with ladies on a heart and spirit level, and to be reminded that we are all on this journey together.
My husband is my best friend, but there are some things that other women just uniquely understand like no one else. Waddling through the hospital with a big baby belly, is one of them. To be a part of the Mom Squad, please visit our blog (we love hearing from you) and also find us on Facebook.
Look for the Mom Squad on 955thefish.com or themomsquad.blogspot.com. Like on Facebook at TheFishMomSquad.
