A picky eater and her friend visit the Artisanal Burger Company
Strollerobics
Lois and I met at the mall during an exercise class called Strollerobics. Pushing our nearly one year old boys in their strollers, we marched around the mall with a group of other moms hoping to shed those post pregnancy pounds. Lois and I quickly hit it off and discovered our boys were exactly one month apart, we lived in the same town, we were both at-home moms, and her husband worked in the same building as my dad – in fact, it was my dad who had hired him.
Friendly Friendship
The Strollerobic group fizzled out as summer came to an end, but Lois and I decided to keep at it. Nearly every day, we looped around the mall bragging about our baby’s latest milestone and admiring the shop windows. Most days we treated ourselves to a light breakfast at Friendly’s, conveniently located in the mall, after the walk because we deserved it – we had just walked for an hour with toddlers and who doesn’t deserve a bagel with cream cheese after that! It was so wonderful at that time to have a friend in the lonely world of motherhood, that it never occurred to me that I was gobbling back all the calories I had just burned off. I didn’t care. I had a great new friend and so did my son.
Mom’s Club
A couple months after the Strollerobic group disbanded I discovered a Mom’s Club for stay-at-home moms and encouraged Lois to join with me. We were both thrilled to expand our circle of friends and were equally thrilled to discover other at-home moms living in our town. Activities abound, we found ourselves on daily romps to parks, playdates, and pizza outings. It was exhilarating and exhausting and I loved every second of it. But then, Lois went back to work and I was devastated. Who would be my best mom friend? We lived in the same town, but our boys would go to different schools.
Scouting
Six short years later, our boys were in first grade and together again. I’m the mom who enrolls her kids in everything from sports to clubs to music lessons until they decide they don’t like it. So I was so excited to learn that my son could join Cub Scouts. Unable to find a den through our school I searched around and found one nearby. We walked in for that first meeting and there, all smiles, was Lois. The boys continued Scouts, in different dens but the same pack, through elementary school, And then my son made the choice to join the Boy Scouts closer to home. Lois and I were separated again, but only until my son realized that the troop across town was so much better. After they bridged to Boy Scouts, our boys went to different high schools, but luckily scouts kept them and us together.
Growing Up, Growing Apart
By chance, the boys attended the same university although they had different majors and ran with different crowds. While the boys grew apart, Lois and I did our best to stay in touch. The pandemic made it hard, but we still try to grab lunch or dinner once a year. And I treasure those outing while we talk about our boys, our work, and our lives. Throughout it all, we know that we will always be there for each other for anything – a favor, a reference, a chat.
ABC
I was thrilled when Lois answered my call for a Burger Buddy. The restaurant she chose is just outside the mall where our friendship began. The Artisanal Burger Company (locally known as ABC) offers something for everyone – burgers for me and gluten free options for Lois. The restaurant was bustling, but we were seated right away. Booths and tables fill the room and a large diagram of a cow outlining the different cuts of beef hangs above the kitchen area. During our dinner, I realized that our lives have circled right back to the beginning. I am now back at home after teaching English as a Second Language for fifteen years, spending my days writing everything from commercial fiction to this blog to children’s literature. And Lois, now working remotely, has opened her home to a young woman with disabilities in need of housing. It’s been nearly twenty-five years since we began our motherhood journey and I know we’ll continue our friendship for at least the next twenty-five.
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