I had a hard time meeting people in Knoxville. Sadly, I didn’t even make an attempt until Moose was 6 months old, which was 9 months after we moved here!! I was used to meeting people at work and my hubby is not into bringing coworkers into our home life.
I was also (and still kinda am) a Mom Group snob. I hadn’t really gotten a handle on who I was. I was lost. As a person whose identity was always wrapped up in her title, I had a hard time with the SAHM status, even though I loved being with the Moose.
During a particularly dark period in my life, I took Moose home to Charleston. My best friend took me to one of her Mom’s groups, and I realized it wasn’t too bad. So there were a dozen people I had nothing in common with, but if I could have just one conversation with another adult besides my husband, it would be nice. And she said she was in several mom’s groups and ended up with 2 good friends. Not bad odds, right?
So I immediately went home and started checking out sites. I ended up joining Stroller Strides. Even though I was already 10 pounds lighter than my pre-preggy weight (I hear the cursing, but hey, I can’t help it!!), I needed to tighten up and I figured I could meet some people. And I ended meeting some moms very similar to myself – no one was native to Knoxville, everyone wanted to be fit, and most of us didn’t consider ourselves typical SAHM even though all of us were!
I always believe if you open your mind for good things to happen, they will come to you. Not long after I joined Stroller Strides, I met a random girl and her daughter at the park. Now almost 3 months later, they are our closest friends in Knoxville. Ana and Chick Pea are the friends that we see everyday and never get sick of 🙂
So to all the lonely mommies out there, make it a goal to attend one organized session where there are other mommies – whether its a mom’s group, a library function, or whatever. And if you find yourself at a park or Walmart and you spy another mommy with the same lonely look in her eyes, walk up and ask her how old her baby is. You never know where your next friend is hiding!!
Moose's Lodge 