Writer's Workshop

A list of things you no longer have in common with your single/childless friends…and why you love them anyways.

A month after Ethan was born, we came back to Dar and it was my mate's birthday. We went to Hugo's (before it burnt down) and had a lovely dinner. During the course of the evening, I noticed that not only was I not drinking, but neither was one other mate of mine. Turns out she was pregnant. As the evening went on, we laughed how just one year earlier, we would have been dancing on the tables, and now, here we were, one of us with a 2 month old, and the other expecting her first.

Just before we had Ethan, most of out mates were either single or childless. Now the bulk of out mates are married with children. But I still miss my girls. I'm not sure how much of it is we no longer have things in common, and how much is we are no longer living in the same city/country. But here's what I miss;

• Just chatting all night about stupid things. It seems an evening doesn't go by, nowadays, without some talk about kids.
• Girlie nights. And I don't mean ladies' night. I'm talking girlie nights, where we drank wine, gave each other mani/pedis and talked nonsense. 
• Being able to take off for the weekend, and not worry what we'll do with Ethan.
• Being able to stay out till the morning, then going out for breakfast before coming home and sleeping all day.

All my single/childless mates are wonderful. They have a great spirit and sense of life. And even though we're not always together, whenever we do get together, they do a great job of listening to my Ethan stories. And you know you're a great friend when you listen to those. Guess that makes all of you great mates.