Bye bye baby...

One of my dearest friends gave birth to twins last Friday. They are adorable and are the perfect set, a boy and a girl. I have seen them twice this week and each time I held them, they became cuter. After holding them for a little while, I became reflective as I usually do. When I think about it, I always see my friends as spontaneous, fun and carefree. They are the people I call at the last minute when I want to take a quick trip to New York to buy clothes. They are also the ones I stay up with on the phone talking about nonsense into the wee hours of the morning and giggling like little girls. I like having that sense of freedom with some of my friends because there is no feeling like it in the world.
I often wonder if that feeling will end. To be honest, it is sad to think about for me and causes me a lot of anxiety. When a woman has children there are many more important things in life to think about than jetting off to buy new clothes, right? With each year another friend of mine gets married and/or has a baby. I am always sincerely happy for them and try to support them in any way I can. Although I possess a tremendous feeling of joy for them, I cannot help but to think about how how this will affect their lives and mine. I know that last part sounds a bit selfish but its true.
As I am sitting here writing, I am going through my mental Rolodex of friends and thinking about how our interactions have changed with each other over the years as they have either gotten married or had children. Its interesting because I am realizing that with some of them, our relationships have actually strengthened while only a few have become weaker. It appears as though it depends on the person going through the experience. I think I'm onto something... What I'm discovering is that this is a very personal experience and a woman can choose how she balances her life. Some of my friends have been very successful at balancing their social lives and taking time for themselves, while others are not so good at it. I don't want to come across as biased against women who choose not to have the occasional lunch with their friends and who desire to spend all day with their children. If that is her choice then I am fine with it. Unfortunately, I do think this leads to a feeling of seclusion for the woman who does this with her time. I believe that it is very important to take time out for yourself to speak with a trusted friend, go to the spa or even take yourself out to lunch for a breather especially when you are a wife and a mother. It gives life perspective and new meaning and one gets to THINK independently. What a wonderful feeling!
In the end what I have determined is that every woman does what is best for her and her situation. I do wish that some of my friends would come up for air every so often because I miss them but for the most part my friends have done a good job at maintaining a balanced life style. I enjoy their children and I think they are all lovely little people. I do look forward to joining my friends someday in their wifely and motherly duties but when the time comes, if I ever refuse a trip to the spa then you know something is wrong. At this time, I am requesting that you contact the nearest psychiatric ward because I am definitely losing it. I am well aware that everyone gets out of balance every now and then but me turning down a trip to the spa?? NEVER!