Fearless Mom: A Friend for when You're in Over Your Head

Sometimes as moms, we bite off a little more than we can chew. Like celebrating my daughter's third birthday by inviting all the neighborhood kids to our house for crafts and cake. That doesn't sound too bad, except I wasn't expecting all of the parents to drop off their kids and leave. I had assumed the other moms would stay for the party and help supervise their own kids. An unfair assumption, perhaps, but there it was. A dozen little kids sitting around my table, now covered in glue and glitter. Did I mention the floor is carpeted?

Just one mother stayed to help, and she immediately began making herself useful. She kept moving around the room, retrieving dropped markers and paper, serving the cake, and making sure no one ate glue. I didn't know this woman well, having just moved to the neighborhood, but she seemed like such a natural, whereas I was nervous around other people's kids.

Even so, I wasn't doing too badly until about halfway through the cake. Apparently, the cake didn't agree with one of the little ones' stomach, and he somehow managed to throw up about three times his body weight. That's when Fearless Mom stepped in. While I helped the little boy calm down and clean up, this Fearless Mom got down on her hands and knees and cleaned up my carpet. To say I was grateful would be an understatement.

Fearless Mom and I became great friends, getting together for play dates and Girls Night Out's until she moved away a year ago. I have always admired her patience, creativity, and of course, her courage in the face of vomit!

I think every neighborhood has one or two Fearless Moms. She may be the one who's always willing to babysit everyone's kids, who doesn't panic in an emergency, who never seems to be caught off guard. She's not afraid to host a birthday party for a dozen preschoolers! Not only is she calm in the face of danger, but she's not afraid to let loose and have fun. Fearless Mom is the one spinning in circles with her kids in the front yard, not caring if the neighbors think she's crazy. And she's the one who's not afraid to knock on your door, introduce herself, and invite you over for tea. Every young mom needs a friend like her. But don't worry if you haven't found her yet; she's sure to find you!