True Friends

Coming home to Mississippi is sometimes one of the hardest things I do every year. It throws Aubrey out of her comfort zone, I have to explain her differences over and over and over again and then just about the time we are getting comfortable, it's time to leave. 

One thing that I very much look forward to while I'm here though is seeing my old friends. I went to a small school my entire life and had the same friends my whole life. Of course, over the years, the number of friends who still make time to see me when I'm home has dwindled, but that just makes our time together even more special. I feel like I can actually relax in the presence of my real friends. It's no secret that I have had a difficult time figuring out where I fit in our new community in North Dakota. I'm typically referred to as "Seth's wife" "Ray and Jean's daughter-in-law" or "Aubrey's mom". I have yet to find my real identity in a social setting there. I'm sure that one day I will just naturally fall into a circle of friends that I feel comfortable with, but that's not the case just yet. 

I would encourage people to make more time for their friends because those relationships can be the difference maker in someone's life. Parents who have children who are special needs need to find some sort of normalcy in their own life. My life is hectic and sometimes stressful and I very much enjoy the time that I can sit down and discuss things that don't really matter at all. It's those conversations that make me feel like regular person and someone who has her own identity under the special needs mom cape that I wear everyday.