Moving to a new state as an adult has probably been one of the hardest transitions of my life. Making friends as an adult can be quite challenging, but it was a necessary part of becoming acclimated to my new home.
I am a true extrovert and leaving my friends and family behind was remarkably sad. I had a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out) those first few years away. I remember perusing through Facebook and crying because I had missed so many events and celebrations. I was heartbroken. My extroverted spirit needed new friends to make this move complete.
When I think about womanhood, the first thing that comes to mind is sisterhood. I have truly been blessed with a great group of girlfriends that have seen me through some incredible highs and lows. Having that solid group of girlfriends is what makes womanhood so special. As I moved into another facet of womanhood, motherhood, I was so happy that I had created a village of girlfriends who could walk with me through this new journey.
For those that are religious, your church home is a great place to find girlfriends. Most of my Texas friends are from my congregation, and I couldn’t be more grateful. After having my first daughter, church members came to visit me at the hospital (pre-COVID), brought meals to my home and watched my daughter for me. As our children have grown, we have celebrated birthdays, attended many playdates, and grew as mothers TOGETHER. There is absolutely nothing about parenthood that speaks to isolation. You NEED a village, and mine is incredible.
Facebook groups has also been a great resource to find like minded moms/girlfriends. There are thousands of mom/women groups on Facebook and, for the most part, they are great places to get advice, ask all the mom questions you want without judgement, and, of course, plan girls’ nights out! A few months after having my daughter, I was searching for a group of African-American moms who I could connect with. I joined Black Moms Meet DFW and joined them for a meet and greet at a local, natural/eco-friendly baby store in Arlington. They planned monthly meet-ups (pre-COVID), moms’ days out, and field trips to kid-friendly locations in the DFW metroplex. It was a great way for me to expand my village and a great way for my daughter to meet new kiddos.
Womanhood is so special. There are so many facets to being a woman, but the one that I love the most is the bond I share with my sisters, my fellow mothers, and friends. I hope that each woman has at least one good girlfriend that they can share her journey.
Share your womanhood journey. Let us know about your amazing girlfriends. We’d love to hear about it!
Find local moms in your area, or in a topic that interests you, in one of many FWM Neighbor Groups.