When you give birth to or adopt a child, you are magically made a member of a special and elite sisterhood of women as old as time. It is the mom club. Membership does not depend on social class, skin color, political leanings, part of the world you are from, or any other dividing line. All you have to have is female hormones and a child.
Let me also take a moment to address another subset here - the Daddies Club and the "Aunties" and "Uncles" Club. (You know the "Aunties" and "Uncles" are those folks who while not having kids of their own seem to attract kids like the pied piper and are either official or unofficial aunts and uncles.) These folks are not to be denied their mention or worth either!
Let's go over some of the wonderful features included in membership into the sisterhood of moms:
- Whenever you hear a baby cry, anywhere, your heart clenches and you want to pick up the baby and make sure they are ok.
- Anytime you see a kid with a runny nose you have an urge to wipe it. You probably also have tissues in your purse.
- Where before you had kid(s) you thought loud children in public were really annoying now you think, "whew," mine are not the loudest/worst behaved in the place.
- You can now make conversation with random women in the ladies room, waiting in line, or in the doctor's office just based on the fact that they have kids the same age.
- When adults as well as kids do stupid things or are in a bad mood you realize that they need a nap or a snack.
Being a mom has made me be a better employee at work, given me more patience, and increased my empathy for others.
The sisterhood of moms is a wonderful resource that should never be underestimated. We give each other tips about the best sales going on, the best ways to get babies to sleep, how not to worry when junior seems like he will never give up the pacifier, and so on. Through sharing stories, and wiping noses, we support each other. In fact, when they say that it "takes a village to raise a child" I have an idea that I know who that village is made up of: the sisterhood of moms, along with the brotherhood of Dads and the "Aunties," and "Uncles."
