The Value of Moms Night Out

The smiles of  moms

Last Thursday, my husband brought home a bottle of champagne to celebrate. I was surprised. My facial expression must have revealed my question of what was the mysterious event we were celebrating.  Mike answered, "It's Thursday, so we celebrate Thursday."

I smiled.  Why not?

Until I remembered that Moms Night Out (MNO) was that night.  I hesitated to bring it up to Mike, but I had emailed my RSVP almost a week prior. I had commented to Mike that one of the moms, who had moved out of town, was going to be at MNO. So I reminded Mike that it was MNO.  If he wanted, I'd call and back out.  He replied, "Absolutely not, especially since your friend from out of town will be there.  The bottle will wait til you get home."

So I went, and I am glad I did.  We had a wonderful turnout of about 17 mothers.  We represented many stages of motherhood.  The ages of our children varied; some had young children while others had teenagers, or a mix of both.  Some were pregnant, and one mom brought her five month old baby.

I knew about half of the moms, so I was introduced to the new faces.  Connections were quickly made. We spoke about many subjects.  Some topics were light and whimsical, and others pertinent and compelling. We shared experiences, insights, and prayer.  Multiple conversations occurred simultaneously, making the time slip by unnoticed.

During this time I was able to catch up with a mom whose son tutored my son with autism.  She told me that her son wrote about his tutoring experience with my son for an English class.  I never would have guessed that my son would be included in such an assignment! Anyways, connections like this are made via MNO, and they are important--to build trust and friendships.  These are vital, not just for moms, but for the offspring.  Having a son with autism, I am careful who I bring into his life.  These boys met through the boys club via the home schooling group.  What a great update I received!!

I arrived home, and the bottle of champagne was opened.  My husband greeted me with a glass and a smile.  I summarized the evening quickly, and then the time was ours to celebrate.  I thanked Mike for waiting for me.  He responded that he knew how much I gain from MNO--how important those friendships are to me.  He recognized how much I needed to get out of the house and connect with like-minded women.

I am thankful I have such an understanding husband who appreciates the value of MNO.

Photo credit:  Clare Willis