How fitting that my next post falls on National Girlfriend Day! This post is one that has been on my heart for sometime. It is something that I hold dear to my heart. Tribe. One word. I have heard the word for so many years. In many different contexts but never really got what it meant until this past year. Tribe. According to wikipedia “in anthropology, a tribe is a human social group. Tribe, noun, a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with having a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.
Before I dive in to my tribe I want to take a moment and recognize that as women we sometimes tend to believe that we can do all things. That asking for help is a sign of weakness. We get wrapped up into “I don’t want to bother my friends because they have their own problems, kids and issues to deal with as well’, or “they probably don’t have time to help me”. Well let me tell you as a mom with two boys who continue to test my limits, I do need help and I am learning to ask for it. Just this week my youngest was not feeling the best due to allergies and I had time sensitive errands that needed to be done. Instead of dragging them out I decided to ask a friend if they could help watch kiddos so I could get errands done. You know what, they said YES! It felt so wonderful to not only ask but have her say “of course bring them over and they can play with my kiddos while I get some cleaning done”. WIN WIN! Like they say it never hurts to ask and the worst they are going to say is no. But we will never know unless we ask first.
Tribe. This past year has been a defining year for myself. Through ups, downs and all-around in day-to-day life. I get through it with the help of my Tribe. Of course I love my husband and family and they are also there for me but there is just something about the girlfriends you have around you. Friends have always been important in my life. I have had many good friends, best friends and girls that I can just down right have a good time with (you know who you are!) From South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska I have met some of the best girlfriends out there!
An important lesson in my life I have discovered is that sometimes friendships come and go. It’s not always the fault of either party. It can come through distance, life changes, arguments or just the season you are in. Let me tell you God has put some pretty amazing people in my life over the course of many friendships. While some early friendships are still in tact (elementary friends, high school and college) some have fallen off course. With the help of Facebook of course we can still see pictures and know when so and so gets married, has a baby, moves, has a family member pass, needs prayer requests or unfortunately goes through a divorce.
The great thing is even as an adult I am still making friends! Whether it be basic acquaintances or friends that become best friends right out of the gate. Whatever stage/season of life you are in I hope you are still making friends as well. Yes, I know it is important to have quality over quantity, I also feel that the farther my net is cast the better off I will be. It is so amazing to be able to say hello to friends at preschool pickup/drop-off, walking through neighborhood, entering church, going to MOPS, or just making a Target or Costco run, I am able to see some face of women I know. While I may not know the importance of them being placed in my life I know that God knows why they are there. Sometimes it is the unlikeliest of people we become friends with. And lets be honest (in my experience) it takes a lot more energy to not like someone then it does to like them. Why waste energy we often don’t have anyways.
Last night I held a Leadership Retreat for the upcoming MOPS year and let me tell you it was nothing short of AMAZING! As I looked around I was just in awe of the connections we have already made and hope to build on this next year. These women I will be working along side of are definitely a gift from God.
No matter where this post finds you at today. I hope that you are part of an amazing TRIBE and if you are not, come be part of mine! It can be hard to meet other women outside of the routine parts of our life (work, kids, kid’s schedules, etc) but when we make connections with our girlfriends it enhances our life in so many ways. I mean who else is going to go to the Rom-Coms with us, share insta pot recipes or gossip about the latest episode of the Bachelor/Bachelorette? So grab a girlfriend, or two declare your tribe! You will not be disappointed. For those of you reading this that are a part of my tribe, thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping my cup overflow. You have no idea the value I place in our tribe!
So from one tribe to the next go out and celebrate national girlfriend day! Call up a friend, go to a movie, face time, grab a dinner or send a snap chat, whatever you do make it a great day!
CHEERS to all the Amazing TRIBES!
Under the Clutter 
Yes, tribe!!!!
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