Happy spring, Mamas!
There is a podcast that I like to listen to, called “For The Love! with Jen Hatmaker.” (http://jenhatmaker.com/podcast.htm).  At the end of every episode, she asks her guests, “What is saving your life right now?”  Sounds a little heavy, right? But the other day I was listening, and I thought, “The promise of warm days…that is saving my life right now.”  Perhaps as you are reading this, spring has sprung!  But right now it’s 42 degrees outside as I type this.
I’m pretty new to MSMAC.  Just joined in August, and then helped a fellow mama out by stepping into a board position.  I’m still meeting a lot of you for the first time, so I thought I would take this space to talk about just that.  Mom friends.  I’m not from Gettysburg (or even PA), and my husband isn’t from the area either.  We moved here eight years ago for jobs.  I fell into the work-friend trap, not meeting many people outside my place of employment.  Well, this summer I decided to make a change, and now I’m home with my son, looking for friends.  (I’m not trying to sound desperate…I swear).  I never really thought too hard about how this job change would affect me on a social level.  We, of course, thought of the financial adjustment, child care change, and so on.  Making friends is hard.  One of the first episodes of the podcast “For The Love! With Jen Hatmaker” talks about just that.  We never were taught how to make friends.  We just became friends with the people in our proximity.  I’m sure many of your childhood friends were neighbors and the kids you sat near in school.  So now here we all are a bunch of 20, 30, 40 something moms, just trying to make friends.  Some of you are long-time MSMAC members and are secure in your friendships, and some of you (like myself) are still trying to navigate your way.  The one tip I can offer is, invite people.  Plan something.  Reach out.  Don’t sit back and wait to be invited.  And don’t let the fear of rejection prevent you from reaching out.  The other day I was heading to the park with my son, and I reached out to a mom that I’m just starting to know and asked if she wanted to join along with her kids.  The immediate text response was “YES!!!!”
So whether you are a MSMAC pro or novice, let’s all make a pact to reach out to one another.  Let’s make the Mom path a little less lonely.  I hope to meet so many more of you at future playdates, MNO’s, and potlucks.
Jen D.
MSMAC Secretary
css.php