my book club

This morning I dropped the kids off at school. I saw my very funny friend, Robbin, and told her that this weekend we should meet for margaritas. (Since she missed the big birthday bash she's owed me a bit of her time for about two weeks.) She countered with, "Group of moms, Santa Ritas, tonight for margaritas, it's a power meeting from 8 to 9". Later I got her email,

Ladies-lets fortify ourselves with a quick rita tonight at Santa Ritas @ 26 doors. Not a late night but a deep breath ! hope to see you there ! robbin

I invited two extra friends to join us. One was a parent whose child Max has become good friends with this year, and one was a mom who I know from the preschool.

When we got there, my two guest mommies met the crowd of regulars, and we immersed ourselves with 'ritas and conversation. And while I listened and chipped in on the various conversations, I realized that women in any group find a common ground to talk about. We represented the spectrum from struggling to financially comfortable, from ultra liberal to ultra conservative politically, but what we had in common to talk about was mothers and friends with breast cancer, our kids during the summer, hunky guys on Desperate Housewives, our libidos, our Mommy Altzheimers--dubbed "Half Heimers" by one mom.

I've gotten togther with several different groups of ladies this year for celebratory margaritas. Always different groups, different reasons. They included once, after finishing the big fund raiser at the preschool, once for my birthday, once with my Par-tay trip girls, and now, for celebrating the end of a school year and beginning of summer with the kids. In each case, the women appreciated a chance to knit a web of support a little tighter.

I worry about husbands that don't make a safety net. Maybe it's just that men don't need it, or ignore the need, but it's as if Moms feel and appreciate having heard and told the stories they all share. That sounds corney, but I can't describe it any better than that.

Anyway, we decided tonight that we needed regular meetings-- especially this summer-- weekly!

Perhaps a we'll have a field trip thrown in for good measure, like tubing -- without kids -- on the Guadalupe, swimming -- without kids -- at Hamilton's Pool. We laughed that we could call the weekly meetings for margaritas our Book Club. (But since David reads this weblog from time to time, that won't really work for me..) But I'll call it the Book Club anyway. Because even if it's a ruse for drinking margaritas, a real Book Club, a Bunco night, or whatever, we all need it. All us Mommies need to get out and visit and cuss and relax. Like we learned in High School with our girlfriends, like we will be continuing as we get older and older, needing the women in our lives to tell stories to and find out that we're all going through the same stuff.