Catch up with some of our ACM Amigas – former contributors who have helped craft the collective story of ACM over the last 10 years.
I was an ACM Contributor from 2017-2018 and cherished the opportunity to write about and share experiences around motherhood. I have two boys, Lincoln and Whitman… both will be in high school after this summer, one with a senior year looming large. *Cue, tears.* I’m also a bereaved mother – my oldest son, Wheeler, who would be nearly 20 now… a close-to-my-heart topic about which I wrote for ACM on several occasions.
What was most memorable to you about your experiences with Alamo City Moms (Blog)?
Connecting with readers has always felt like a real privilege to me. Our words are powerful and it was meaningful to reach people through our shared experiences. And, this is a network of spectacular women… I’m so grateful to still be connected to many of them!
What phase of motherhood were you at when you joined the team, where are you now, and what is something that you’d tell your younger self?
My boys were 8 and 11 when I joined the team. They are now 14 and 17, so I can see the proverbial finish line: the empty nest is in sight. I would tell my younger self: take the trips, leave the dishes and play, get the dog, ride the roller coaster, wear the bathing suit and take more videos… it is so irritating that the cliché is true, but it is. I know it is hard to imagine when the days feels so long that the years will be as short as they are – but it will take your breath away. Of course, you have to work and do laundry, fine… just be sure to keep them in their place, in the background of these childhoods you are in the process of building. (Also, it turns out that while husbands may all come and go, the girlfriends are forever – don’t skimp on your investment in the women in your life.)
Have you stayed in touch with fellow ACM contributors? What advice do you have for nurturing or maintaining friendships in this stage of motherhood?
Yes, I have. And to this I say: JUST DO YOUR REAL LIFE TOGETHER. Don’t wait until the schedule allows for a “girls’ night” or a “girls’ weekend.” Those are lovely, but they are often so few and far between. Make a date to run your errands at Target together. Grab a friend to get coffee on the way to pick up your groceries. Double that batch of chili you are making anyway and invite them over to your messy house on a Thursday when your laundry isn’t even put away. Don’t tackle that closet clean out alone. Let people be in your real life, mess and all. This is where the lifelong treasures come from.
Do you have a favorite piece you wrote for ACM?
This was a formative parenting experience for me and I feel grateful that I captured some it for this post: https://alamocitymoms.com/travel/outside-comfort-zone-magic/
So how’s it been going? What have you been up to? Tell us everything…
Things are busy!! The pandemic was a trip! Ha!
I’m still in private practice with the ICFE as a family therapist, and loving the flexibility that comes with working primarily from home. Also, just this spring, I launched a parent education and coaching expansion to my practice: Thriving Families with Jennifer Soos. I’m in the process of developing some online courses and group workshops to help moms level-up their parenting experiences. It’s exciting and terrifying and a ton of work – but I feel energized to be doing some non-therapeutic work in a space I love: family education!
My oldest is gearing up for his senior year and college planning is underway. My youngest is starting a new high school in the fall and continues to train hard on his competitive fencing team – there are still very few free weekends and a calendar that makes my head spin. But I’m doing my best to soak it all in.
All former contributors were offered the opportunity to participate in this series. If you are a former contributor who would like to participate, let us know (we probably don’t have the correct contact info!).
