“I feel like a woman again,” my longtime friend Rachel said one evening as we enjoyed a glass of wine and a delicious Caesar salad at our go-to restaurant. As we walked back to our cars, keys dangling from our fingers, our faces hurt from laughing so much.
We always exchange flowers, we consistently make each other chuckle, and we often vow to have these nights more frequently. Yet, we seldom do. I realize now that it’s time to change that. In fact, I truly need to prioritize it.
I don’t mean we need to meet weekly, gorging on nachos and sipping slushy margaritas (though that would be wonderful). What I’m suggesting is that if these nights rejuvenate us and make us feel vibrant, why not place a higher value on them?
I’m tired of feeling too exhausted to arrange regular girls’ nights. There are days when the only people I converse with are my family and, at times, myself. While I adore them and enjoy my own company, I can’t shake the feeling that my intellect is dwindling after four consecutive days of addressing topics like manners at the dinner table, the optimal way to create slime, or searching for misplaced toys while juggling my kids’ activities.
A girls’ night out can significantly uplift our spirits. And we deserve that time.
It does require effort to put on a bit of lip gloss and change out of sweatpants after a long day. We’re all busy, often yearning for a night of mindless Netflix and relaxation (without a bra) or cuddling with our kids, which is undeniably the most tiring job we’ve ever had. But nurturing our friendships is vital for our health. Studies have shown that friendships can extend our lives and reduce stress. Who wouldn’t want to enhance their lifespan while enjoying a peaceful evening with friends? This is the perfect justification to set aside the “I’m too busy to go out” excuse for just one night. Surely, we can carve out time for ourselves and one another once a month. It’s absolutely doable.
Connection is essential, especially with other mothers navigating similar challenges or, even better, with those who have already faced them. It’s too easy to keep our struggles bottled up, feeling we lack the opportunity to share without our kids interrupting or eavesdropping every few minutes. I’ve been guilty of this many times. However, when I invest in my friendships, I consistently feel validated, heard, and significantly uplifted. My closest friends remind me that I’m not alone in this journey.
Having time for my girlfriends as a mother has become increasingly important. While nights out are less frequent post-kids, they somehow feel more precious. We gather now for entirely different reasons, cherishing our friendships on a deeper level as we navigate various stages of life.
The allure of staying in every night with our children is strong, and it’s easy for friendships to take a backseat once we start families. This is understandable, and true friends patiently wait while encouraging you not to neglect your own well-being.
Enjoying a night out can remind us that, while being a mom is our favorite role, it’s not our only identity. These amazing women are in our lives for a reason. Like any relationship, I need to invest more time and energy into my friendships because someday, it may just be the two of us reminiscing on a nursing home porch. I certainly don’t want to look at Rachel and say, “We should have indulged ourselves more when we were younger. I’d do anything for a plate of nachos and a margarita right now.” Instead, I hope to tell her, “I’m so grateful we made time for our friendship amid our busy lives, because we truly had fun, and you helped me through so much. Now, let’s grab some nachos!”
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Summary:
This article emphasizes the importance of prioritizing girls’ nights for personal well-being and maintaining friendships, especially among mothers. It highlights the benefits of social connections and the need to invest time in relationships, even amidst busy lives.
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