How a Wing Woman Makes Mothering More Beautiful

Join the conversation and share your personal stories about a Wing Woman in your life on Twitter @mywingwoman. Get the low down from one of my favorite Wing Women at www.mywingwoman.com. I received compensation for this blog post from Teva Women’s Health.

Life as a parent means that friendships change. Social lives change. My idea of a wild Saturday night has changed. Life is a bit simpler and yet more complex. A Friday or Saturday spent in the backyard is our new version of a perfect day. And reading a book on the porch during nap time feels like a vacation. Neighbors who are friends become a big portion of your social life out of ease, convenience and similarities. For us, contentment has come from this life.

One beautiful day two years ago, a lovely woman and her young daughter visited our next door neighbors. They were sitting on the deck having a serious conversation that, at the time, I had no idea about. We were playing in our back yard with Bodhi. I had an instant connection with her and hoped she’d visit again soon.

The woman’s daughter joined us in our yard and played while the adults sat on the deck talking.

Less than three months later, this woman, her daughter and husband moved into the house right next to ours. I was thrilled to welcome them and grateful that they had children (both of our second children were born that summer) the same ages as both of ours. But I had NO idea quite how huge this was.

In a matter of months, our next door neighbor became one of my dearest friends, a trusted confidant and my partner in parenting in so many ways! We constantly talk about how we are mothering together. We are raising kind, compassionate and joyful children together and doing it together makes it joyful for us too. She loves my children. I love hers. She feeds my kids and I feed hers.

We work together to give our children magical childhoods and we teach them difficult lessons. We attempt to sit and rest while the kids play and we often give up, grab a cup of coffee and chase them instead.

Our children fight like no other and love something fierce. Their relationships are perfect and beautifully imperfect. They are learning to share and struggle and apologize together. It’s not without pain and challenges, but it’s amazing doing this mothering thing with her.

When I had a health scare a few months back, she took our boys without hesitation. She fed them dinner and played with them while my husband and I spent hours at the ER. She is truly my Wing Woman.

Our homes are very close together. We see each other daily. Our backyards are connected and that space has become my peaceful place. Our kids can safely play. We can sit, and it often feels like we’re on vacation. I no longer feel this need to escape on the weekends. And to have such a close friend right in my own backyard makes life so good.

We support each other in our day-to-day lives as mothers and women. This beautiful, unexpected friendship is something I’m grateful for beyond words. I don’t remember our lives before these wonderful people and for this I’m so very thankful.

The Teva Women’s Health “Wing Woman” campaign is all about the Wing Woman in your life and my life who helps make life better. My dear next door neighbor and friend is that for me!

Who is your Wing Woman?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.