The secret mom society, yes that’s right, today I’m talking about that unspoken club you gain access to when you are blessed with motherhood. My friends without children will probably be like, what are you talking about?!? Sorry girls, you may not relate to this one. This one is for my mommys, who sit in the car while baby finishes their nap, walk around all day with some unexplained sticky spot on their shirt, have ripped their hair out at times and no longer put themselves first. You are a mom and you’re in the club.
Before that exciting day, that ten (yes ten, I didn’t believe the first nine) little sticks showed two lines and one read ‘pregnant’ on the digital monitor, I was just like any other girl. What do I mean by that? Well, simply when I was out an about I just blended in, besides the usual southern niceties of saying hello and holding a door here and there, that was the extent of my stranger interaction.
As the months progressed and my baby bump went from ‘is she getting fat’ to ‘aww look at the little pregnant girl’, I started making new friends. What I learned is people love love love pregnant women and babies. Not all of course, but typically the parents that have gone before us just love to spark up a conversation with you. Everywhere I went I got compliments, doors held open, groceries taken to my car, items carried through a store for me, it was as if I was some sacred being that could not do a thing for myself. Of course I ate that up 😉
When sweet baby boy was born the attention only heightened. No longer on me, but on that little bouncing baby. My biggest fans were older women. Once you become a mom its like this switch is turned on that makes you fall in love with every little tiny cooing baby you encounter. I guess you never lose that. I’m sure whan I’m 70 I’ll be the lady scaring the new moms by asking if I can hold her infant.
To this day, I learn something new about a stranger everywhere I go. Maddox sparks a lot of attention. From compliments on his cuteness to the knowing grin and laugh from the mom with two boys of her own, I’m in the club. If you have a stroller, people always hold the door for you. You get away with being extremely distracted in the check out line. Oh my kid just pulled down all the candy bars, sorry. Club membership gets you a free pass and empathy from other members. Luckily, as our population grows, so does our league of secret mom society members. Next time I see you panicking because your toddler is laying on the ground pitching a fit or just pushed another kid to the ground, I will knowingly smile and nod, I’ve been there girl, welcome to the club.
