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Sometimes in life you need a wing woman. Someone who will pick you up and carry you when you’re down, or who will go out of their way to help you get through the next few days, months, or years. I am incredibly blessed to have a tribe of wing women.
It didn’t start out that way, not even a little bit. This whole wing woman journey started with my mom. I mean, I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for her carrying me for 10 months (yes, 10). And she raised me right. She taught me to respect my betters, say “please” and “thank you”, and only swear when absolutely necessary. Which I’m sure Ish feels is all the time in my little corner of the universe…but that’s another story for another day.
When we moved to Texas, it was a long way from home, and suddenly I was without my wing woman! She was over 3,000 miles away, and two time zones, which wasn’t a big deal…unless it was 7:00 a.m. and I needed her opinion. We adjusted, but I realized that I needed to find my tribe, so to speak. Those women who had my back no matter what.
When Smalls was born, I finally found my weird. My wing women-other moms who were going through the same struggles as me. Women who were exhausted, blissfully happy to have a shower every 7 days. My mom pushed me, and supported me long-distance, but this group of women were there. They weren’t afraid to tell me that I needed a shower…and offer to watch the baby while I took one…at their house (yeah, it was bad).
And they listened while I cried about not getting any sleep, and sympathized because they were losing sleep, too. Fast forward a few years (just three, actually), and these women…my wing women…became my tether.
When my family needed help in 2014, my tribe went to work. They set up an account to help with Smalls’ expenses, sent boxes of “quiet” activities to my door, did my grocery shopping, and made us meals…for months on end. I was overwhelmed by the love that these women showed me and my family.
At a time when I was stuck, quite literally, they found a way to lift me up and remind me there is a world outside of mine. That there are people who will move mountains to help make life easier. And of course, my mom was there. She showed up, took charge, and let me rest.
Thankfully, Smalls gets to be a normal kid nowadays, which means I’ve been able to get out a bit more. I joined a Roller Derby boot camp class, and my mom is my biggest fan. More than that, I’ve found some new wing women along the way. They show up when least expected (sometimes with crutches and peanut butter cups), and help me through when I think that I can’t keep going.
Every woman should have at least one wing woman in her life. I just hit the jackpot a few times over.
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.