First of all, I have to admit that although I now have some feminine hobbies and interests, I have not always been that way. In fact, I really can't say I had very many female friends throughout my life. And the ones I did have, well it's safe to say they weren't all that feminine, either.
But, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage. And that leads to change.
In the time span of a few years I suddenly developed urges to get into "arts and crafts," to learn new recipes, and to really enjoy the companionship of other women. Don't get me wrong! Talking to my husband is wonderful and a time I look forward to daily. However, one can only talk about the office, video games, and cheesy jokes for so long (just as my stories that fill my day must bore him to tears). And it is then that I really need someone with similar experiences to confide in. But once you figure in household chores, errands around town, appointments, and whatever else fills your day, you find that Girls Night Out (or morning or afternoon) just isn't that possible. And here is where MOPs comes in.
If you're anything like me, you're saying, "Ok, what is MOPs?" No one had ever mentioned this group to me and I only happened upon it by reading my church's webpage. It turns out that MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers) is a faith-based group of mothers who come together monthly to, firstly, give praise to God and bring glory to His name, and secondly, to be a support system for one another in similar paths of their lives. We have guest speakers who teach us how to be better moms and fellowship to bring us closer to one another. I've been involved in my group for one year and now, in my second year, I've taken on a leadership position. This gives me even more time to spend with other women each month. Oh, did I leave out the best part? Yes - children spend the meetings in daycare! That gives you, Mom, 2 1/2 hours of adult conversation and peace from someone pulling on your sleeve for this or that. All in all, it's a great deal for everyone all around. You get to learn and make new friends, the kids get to play, and Dad doesn't have to hear quite so much about your "motherly duties."
That being said, I would like to encourage all of you ladies, from preggies to those with children in preschool, to check out your local MOPs group. The first meeting is always free and the tuition is really very reasonable (ours is $65 - $25 for the national membership which gives you emails, a magazine subscription, and other goodies and then $40 to cover your group's cost, which include daycare, guest speakers, crafts, food, etc). You can decide how involved you would like to be, as there are typically two outside get-togethers a month, but I really recommend jumping in with both feet. It's a great place to make friends, learn, borrow a sympathetic ear, and find yet another outlet to spend worshipping our Lord.
Do any moms actually read this?
ReplyDeletei just saw it today, and read every post. i like it! don't forget to include yourself in a future amazing mom post! :) and, i can't wait to try some of your recipes! i love finding new things to try!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marsi! I was seriously about ready to throw in the towel again. Maybe, someday, I'll do something amazing enough to write about lol
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