A New Generation of Friends

Most of my friends began motherhood years before me. I got married when I was 28, and didn't have Paxton until I was 33. That's later than the average, and in some cases, far later than many of my friends. Doing my psychology studies, I learned that the closer a couple is to the age of 30 when they get married (for the first time, I assume), the more likely the marriage is to survive. On the flip side, though, the later a woman waits to conceive, the more likely she is to have problems with fertility. In my mind, I imagined that I would break all the societal rules by having a baby out of wedlock in my mid-20s and then getting married at 30. There were some holes in my plan, though. I didn't meet anyone with whom I wanted to have a child until I met Chris when I was 25. I knew right away that I wanted to marry him. But I'm a commitment-phobe who isn't so good at taking leaps of faith. It seems Chris mirrored my fears, because our courtship lasted over three years. And, as predicted, it wasn't at all easy to conceive and then maintain a pregnancy. God did His glorious work, though, and on December 19th, 2007, Paxton William was born.

I said all that to say this--all of my friends who have kids Paxton's age are new friends. I've met them since Paxton was born, and I thank God for them every single day. They are amazing people and I adore them. I don't rue the fact that my longtime friends and I were not in synch in our motherhood timing. But something in my heart just burst forth with happiness when I recently visited one of my best friends, Rebecca. Her son, Max, was born the same year that Chris and I began dating. He was a delicious, chubby, cherubic baby. He couldn't have been any cuter. Over the years, I've listened to Rebecca's hilarious stories about Max's antics. He's always been so smart and unique. I loved hearing about his latest adventures. And watching him take my little Paxton under his wing the last time we visited was such a sweet blessing.

From the playground, the four of us walked to Max's school's Fall Festival. As if he had done it every day of his life, Max grabbed Paxton's hand and led the way. This was the first time anyone other than family had taken charge of Paxton in that way. At first, he looked a little confused, but he quickly rolled with it. The two of them walked off, hand in hand, together. I must have taken a hundred pictures. I loved seeing my child connect with the child of my best friend of 21 years! It was a really special moment.