“How are things at the house?” Maga asked.
“Very busy, but in a good way.”
“What are the ages of [Sister J’s] kids again?”
“7.5, 5.5, and 2.5.”
“Oh my. That is busy indeed. My kids were a bit more spaced out.”
“What are the age ranges?”
“C and J are 3 years apart. J and D are 3.5 years apart. And D and T are 4.5 years apart, so it wasn’t too crowded all at once.”
“Both sets have their advantages. And how was your Christmas?”
“It was okay. J and P came by for lunch. The food wasn’t anything special. And the day before S and F took me out to dinner.”
“S is Aunt J’s friend, right?”
“Yes. They are one day apart.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Fairly early on, I saw S’s mother and I said to her, ‘You look like I feel’ and she admitted she was pregnant.”
As I pondered the ways women shared pregnancy news sans social media, Maga continued her story. “She went into the hospital and when I went the next day, I ran into her room and said, “I’m here. Let’s see what happens.”
What happened was a lifetime of friendship between mothers and daughters. So much so that they are still spending holidays together. It’s a lovely blurry line between family and friends.
Abigail Mumford 