Best Friend

I have a friend.

Wait, that’s lame, I have lots of friends.

I have a special friend.

Oh, that’s not right either.

I have an old friend, a dear friend, a friend from freshman year of college. We lived in the same dorm that first year, and in the same suite during our second year, and near one another after that. And we’ve stayed friends ever since. We were pregnant at the same time – she with her fifth child, me with my first and only. Somewhere, I have a funny picture of the two of us at my baby shower, both of us in black shirts with big bellies, back to back.

My dear old friend is extraordinary. She’s wise, and smart, and kind of unflappable, even in the face of difficulties. And her life is complicated, with bright wonderful highs, and dark unthinkable lows, and not nearly enough hours in the day. Five kids will do that to you!

I’m hugely proud that she's just edited a book - Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood - which comes out at the beginning of April. It’s a book of devotionals, for first-time moms. As she says:

'This book is a guidebook of sorts, a travelogue written by those who have already gone down the sometimes rocky road of becoming a parent. The twenty moms (and one dad) you'll meet here will regale you with tales of love, frustration, exhaustion and humor. They open their hearts and lives so that you can walk with them through the daily challenge of growing in faith and parenting wisdom.'

You're probably wondering why I'm plugging a religious book, given my avowed atheism. My friend is a person of faith, deep and abiding faith. It's an important part of her life - as it is for many people. But to me, she's one of the most lucid parents I know. When my daughter was old enough to be in the bath by herself, but not old enough for me to be in the other room, I used to call Julia to chat. She was my touchstone, my "am I doing this right?" person. Still is, in lots of ways. So I know in my bones that any book on parenting that she's involved with is going to be a good one.

If a devotional is something that you could use, or share with a new parent, check out Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood. And if you just want an astute parenting blog to visit, add Lotsa Laundry to your blogroll.

She's the best.

And she could use a hug right now.