Since I am in the ranks of the "30-somethings" now, many of my close friends are married and starting families. I seem to be in the minority –- 32, single, and childless. For the most part, I have been able to maintain close relationships with friends who are now parents. We still have lots in common and can find plenty to talk about besides the best diaper rash cream, or when to make the transition from bottle to sippy-cup. But then there are the times when the group I'm with is all parents...and me. And it's those times that I question whether or not I can truly relate to my "mommy" friends since I'm childless...and whether or not the mommies can truly relate to me.
There has been a baby explosion in the past 2 years in my circle of friends, so I have been to A LOT of 1-year-old and 2-year-old birthday parties recently. This weekend I attended yet another party for a friend's young child. I watched in wonder as my friends -- people the same age as me -- ran after their infants and toddlers, and I was fascinated by how overwhelming the scene was. It's in situations like these that I realize in amazement how much my life has diverged from those of my friends. And it makes me think...do diverging lifestyles ultimately spell the end of close friendships? If you are a parent, are you as close to your friends who don't have kids as those who do? Same for singles -- are you still as chummy as you were before with your friends who are new mommies? What do you think??
1. I am 50 something, attractive, financially independent, never married, no kids. Keep your friends. Their kids grow up, their marriages grow stale, or implode, and your friends will become great social pals again. For the time being, you might want to cultivate some new running mates. For the time being, just keep asking your mommy friends about their kids, listen as they ramble on and let it go in one ear and out the other!
ny diva at 9:42AM on Jan 31st 2007