Ladies Night

Not so long ago I thought it was absolutely rediculous that women got together to go out for dinner or have ladies night.  I just didn't get it.  I remember telling my husband that if I was going to go out I would rather go out with him.  About a year ago I played volleyball on a church team and really enjoyed spending time with other moms.  They decided we should all go out for a combined birthday dinner as we'd had several birthdays (including mine) during our volleyball season.  I still had mixed emotions but liked that I had the excuse of a birthday to go anyway.  Little did I know what affect that would have.

Here are several reasons to organize a ladies' night:
1.  It's amazing how much better the conversation is when not inturrupted by children.
2.  You have an opportunity to gain some great wisdom from others' life expereinces.
3.  Sharing experiences of motherhood, family and life in general can be therapudic.
4.  Everyone needs to laugh and getting together with friends is a great way to unwind.
5.  Sharing conversations with friends on a good day leads to having someone to call on a bad day.

I went from being a sceptic to being an instigator!  I'm amazed at the strength I gain from having good friends and am always surprised when I have a conversation with someone and end up finding a solution to a persistant problem through their experiences.  A get together can be very simple or very elaborate.  Here are some ideas for planning a gathering:  Meet up at a restaurant, host an evening in your home and have everyone bring snacks to share, start a book club, plan a service related activity (making cards, sewing blankets), organize a sports team for a city league, host a game night, or even go second-hand shopping (thanks Melanie for this one).

I love my husband and my boys.  They are the world to me.  There are times when I need to socialize with women who understand what I'm experiencing as a wife and mother, it's in my blood.  I just got back from one tonight.  My husband is out of town so I got a babysitter, one mother had come from urgent care where her 3-year-old got staples in his head, another had been there earlier today to get stiches out of one of her kid's heads and we could all appreciate how crazy each other's lives are and laugh about it for a few minutes before returning to work at it some more.  So, don't feel like you're neglecting your family just plan a night and do some socializing.  You never know what will come of it.