This Mother’s Day, I’m working with Clever Girls in support of Macy’s Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the “trade, not aid” program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake.

Moms are hard to make friends with sometimes, especially if you’re new to the area. The town I live in is no exception, being one of the biggest little towns I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to find a group of mommas who not only accept me for me, but have taught me so much about how to be a strong mother and how to be an awesome friend. They have brought me wine when I’ve had a rough day, organized meals for each other, cared for each other during tough times, thrown parties to celebrate the most random things, and been there no matter what the hour or day or what we are doing. (I’ve been known to check my phone at halftime of a bout during a “Mom Crisis” to make sure everything is ok.)

And each of these ladies is someone I can’t imagine living without.

So let me introduce you to my Mom Squad:

This is my girl Sara (aka “Smooshy Face”, as Chuck calls her). She’s got two kiddos spaced like Boy Wonder and Chuck (hers are 3 and 13, both boys) and our kids all get along pretty well. She’s kinda crunchy and funny as hell. She’s got a fantastic smile that makes even the crankiest person turn that frown upside down. She’s crafty and driven, and is an amazing businesslady. (She’s the one who is the driving force behind this doula co-op we’ve been building.) She loves chickens (has 13 of them now) and we can talk on the phone for 45 minutes and still have leftover topics to hit when we see each other in person. She’s my sounding board and sometimes my “OMG, stoppit” voice. She’s awesome.

This is Autumn. Having had a transfer to a hospital with her first baby (who is a month younger than Chuck), this lady did research and reading and asking and everything to educate herself about birth two. She chose a homebirth and an incredible birth team and had the birth she planned for last week and I am so incredibly proud of her. She is the one who seems to do so much, and follows through with pins from Pinterest. Everyone loves her because she is so fabulous and a teeny tiny bit crunchy and hilarious and self-deprecating (without bordering on sad) and she is a joy to be around. I hope I get to walk (or run?) around the local parks with her and her two lovely ladies soon.

This is Tanya. The Warrior Momma. She doesn’t take any slack from ANYONE. She’s funny and sometimes loud Southern and has a bit of a drawl that sneaks into conversation and takes you by surprise. She’s a big personality in a little body, and will tell you exactly how she feels without being abrasive or rude. Her kiddo is a pretty good doppelganger for her momma, only in miniature size. (When she and Chuck get together, it’s pretty hilarious) She will also tell you when you’re being dumb, with no qualms about it. She loves wine and spending time with the girls, yet is the mom who runs up on the playtoy with the kids and hangs from the monkey bars. She’s a riot to hang out with and sends me job descriptions, knowing exactly what I’m looking for. Her laugh always makes me laugh and I don’t recall a single time we’ve hung out that I didn’t have fun.

This is Hayley. She knows exactly when to show up at your house and bring wine. She is the most giving person I’ve ever seen and is the first to jump on lending a hand when someone is in need. Her kids crack me up (H, her oldest is 3 and gave herself a pretty wicked haircut and R is almost 2 and is one of the most daring kids I’ve seen…next to Tanya’s Evil Kneivel child). She has a wicked dry sense of humor and the mom you can rely on to have wipes and diapers when you space out and forget yours. She’s a fabulous person and a wonderful friend and I never get tired of hanging out with her.

So this Mother’s Day, I salute all of these mommas, and the countless others that have offered advice and support to each other in this community. I don’t know what I would do without your texts and calls and weird jokes and Pinterest pins and Facebook posts.

My life would certainly be less full and much less boring. Thank you.

<3

Thank you to Macy’s Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart” promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.