Call a Friend

I just spent the evening with an amazing group of friends. They are an ongoing reminder to me of the importance of friendships. I thought I would share one of my friendship stories with you.

I usually try to be as optimistic as I can. It sometimes takes effort and there are times when I need to remind myself that the glass is half full. One day, over a year ago, I called a friend so I could whine and complain about my then “bad day”. When she picked up the phone she was so happy to know that it was me calling. She was having a bad day and needed to unload. When she was done, she asked me what I called for and I no longer had the energy to run down the details of my stress, so I said “I called to say ‘hi’”. We chatted some more and then went off to continue our daily routines. Then a few weeks later when I just didn’t think anything would go right for me, I picked up the phone and called a different friend. I said, “Hi, I just called to see what you’re up to”. Several minutes later, I was laughing and thinking about what I would make for dinner. After the phone call, I was cooking supper and reminiscing the call in my head. I realized that I felt better, not so much because I was able to tell about my day or that I was able to hear that someone else was having a bad day, but that it feels so good to be there for someone else.

With that said, there are times when a bad day means that it is time to sit down and call a friend. Here’s a look into a few days I had last week. Not one thing is that big of a deal but strung together with a few other stressors and I was ready to pull my hair out.

You know, you check the calendar to see if it’s Friday the 13th…No.
Full moon…No.
Well, let’s just chalk it up to Murphy’s Law.

I left just two minutes later than usual for the school drop off. Half way there I came upon a “road closed” sign and had to turn around and double back adding several miles to my route. This means after flying through town, I still ended up screeching into the drop off line at the last second.

After that race, I headed off to the grocery store with baby in tow, to pick up a few things. Back at home with a ton of stuff I didn’t really need, I realized that I did not have two of the items I set out to get in the first place. While making lunch for all my hungry mouths (and attempting to do so as fast as possible since the baby was screaming at me to give him his milk), I blew up chicken in the microwave. After, of coarse, I had just given it a thorough cleaning. After lunch, my daughter found the surprise school snack I hid for her in the closet. (There goes that surprise)

By the next morning, I awake thinking that “today will be a better day”.
HA!
Making coffee, I realize that yesterday’s trip to the store, I mistakenly bought fat free creamer instead of regular…Blaaa.
It actually took me a minute to go from thinking about using formula before reverting back to using sugar and milk (Which really only tastes good when you drink coffee in a ‘Jersey dinner at 3 am.)

With the bus rolling down the hill, it hits me that today is library day. (My daughter, looking panicked, states that she has no idea where her book is). With my feet barely hitting the floor, I fly threw the living room and up the steps to her room. I find it under some of her clothes and run out to the bus stop in my bare feet to slide the book into her backpack. While out there, …in my bare feet…as it starts to rain, the bus driver (shaking his finger at me) tells me all the ways that this is wrong.

Fearful of what the rest of my day may hold for me, I check in with a friend and heard that she was in the same boat. I listened to stories of various bus stop traumas, tears that have been shed before even leaving for the bus, being up from 2 am until 4:30 with a kiddo who is screaming over what was to her, an unfair punishment. I’m reminded of the squeal little girls make that is in a pitch usually only heard by dogs.
All these things that test the strength of a mother. (They don’t call it tough love for nothin’.)

Now, here is where a good friend really comes in handy. During my conversation, I am reminded that I remembered the book, which keeps my daughter from having a bad day. (That means when she gets home there is one less thing that is my fault) And as I run outside shoeless it is 55 degrees instead of the typical 30 ish for mid February. Another good point is that my bare feet are not sticking to the ice that would normally be on the driveway this time of year.

I feel somewhat better about my day, having been able to laugh at the expense of others and talk with a good friend. I still try to think of the up side when I feel myself wanting to complain, but there are days when you just need to get it off your chest. So as you run the list of gal pals through your head and think about those friends who let you bend their ear when your chips are down. Remember, you might be surprised to know how good it feels to just listen.

Go call a friend today.