After becoming a mom, the enjoyment of spending time with a friend and partaking in uninterrupted conversation feels like the taste of a first bite after fasting. Though in this case it was Halloumi salad, with olives, pomegranate, and a secret sauce that leaves your mouth watering (and I am not actually a salad person). The deliciousness of an evening out is made all the sweeter not because of the Italian ice cream that will be consumed after the meal (that you don’t have to share) or that someone else is doing the cooking, but because of the opportunity for rich and complete conversation. Unlike its fractured counterpart that takes place during any other conversation you will ever attempt again with your child in the vicinity, noticing your diluted attention.
Time to listen, laugh, share life, and be present in the stories, challenges, and experiences that have marked the moments between visits quickly slips away, despite best intentions, as the new chapter begins. How quickly this loved community becomes collateral damage when we become a mom. Completed conversations and dinners out (anything out without kids) are pushed aside under the chosen daily routines and responsibilities of motherhood.
