College was where I met my best friends. Although our jobs have now removed us across the eastern seaboard from each other, we still stay connected. Covid can certainly put a damper on actually meeting up together, but we have learned to embrace it and now have weekly (or sometimes bi-weekly) Zoom calls with each other. These are so much fun! I would show a screenshot, but it hasn't occurred to me to take one before, and our next call is tonight. Five of us meet up-- one in Florida, one in New Jersey, two in Indiana, and myself in Alabama.
Three of us are moms, so we include little quips about our kids every now and then. All five of us work full-time outside of the home (pre-Covid) and have experienced the ups and downs of employment and all the criterion that comes with it. It's such a release to be able to talk to my friends every week. Sometimes, of course, life is busy and I debate whether or not to join the call because vegging out sounds easier. HOWEVER, I am never not glad that I joined in. I ALWAYS feel better, lighter, and more relaxed after every call.
Pieces of our group try to get together at least once a year. Last May, I drove down to Orlando and met up with my friend who lives in Florida. Then in September, my friend in New Jersey flew down and spent the weekend with me. The friend in New Jersey and the twins in Indiana met up in Tennessee this June, and we have tentative plans to meet up in Tampa this September (pending Covid cases in the state of course).
When we moved into our current house four years ago, I knew I needed to find a group of women who lived close by so that I could have a place to find solidarity in the journey of being a wife and mom. I researched and called a few different local churches and actually found a Bible study made up of women in their late '20s and '30s. This group met once a week and sometimes they'd just have nights where we'd all bring a dish or dessert to share and we'd just chat the whole hour. Other times, we'd meet up outside of the standard night and we'd go to the local tea room on Saturdays, etc. We've done baby showers for each other and kept in touch over these years. One of my very best local friends is the leader of that group and it's been so much fun to get to know her over these past four years. Like everything else in our lives, Covid has altered how we meet. We did some Zoom meetings over several weeks until the church where these ladies meet agreed to let them start meeting again on a non-busy night. They have been meeting on Tuesdays nights now for about 4 weeks. Tomorrow will be my first time actually getting to go back since March or February and I'm super pumped!
It's so critical that we ladies find a group of women whom we can confide in, consult with, and vent. Whether these friends are in person or if we're meeting old friends on Zoom calls, finding this group and connecting with them is key. I wish I had more photos for you, but I felt it was important to participate anyway.
Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba
I'm so happy you were able to find a group of women to spend time with through your church! When my sister moved she really struggled to meet women she connected with and we suggested for her to join a church-- it helped tremendously! Thanks for linking up with us, can't wait to see you back next month :)
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