Club Mommie

I got a chuckle out of this article today. I have experienced this very thing . . . and my kids saying, "Do you know her?"

Club Mom
By Margaret Anderson

"Mom, do you know that lady?"

"No, why?"

"Then why are you chatting together like you're bestest friends?"

My six-year-old, Kate, asked me this question at least three times today while we ran errands.

My mother used to do this too: strike up conversations with complete strangers in the store, in line at the post office, and in doctors’ waiting rooms. To my young mind, I couldn't comprehend how two strangers could be giggling together like old college roomies after only two lines of dialogue. Now I know. They're all fellow mommies: members of Club Mom.

You see, we're all part of the same sorority. When I see another mom with her shopping cart weighed down with more kids than groceries, I feel like I already know her. We need no introductions. I can just blurt out,

"Hey, have you tried these yet?" or, "How much do you think these will shrink in the wash?" and before we know it, we're swapping laundry tips and recipes and potty training horror stories. That's when Kate looks on and can't believe we're perfect strangers.

Being a member of Club Mom has other benefits too.

"What do you do if you get lost?" I ask my kids each time we go someplace large and crowded.

"Find another mommy!" is their hardy reply. "We look for someone with a stroller and kids to help us!" I teach them this because I know I can trust my fellow mommies more than any other group of people on earth.

I know a fellow sister in the trenches will help my little one find his way back to me no matter how many obstacles stand in her way. She'll probably even have a wet wipe for his nose and a few fruit snacks in her purse. I know this because these are my people. This is my club. Millions join our ranks daily.

But I'll tell you...whew! Club Mom has one heck of an initiation rite!