The Messages That Held Me

The Messages That Carried Me

The past few days have been some of the longest of my life.

Without sharing details that aren’t mine to tell, our family found ourselves waiting for answers about someone we love more than anything in this world. We knew there was a procedure ahead, and with every appointment leading up to it, our minds naturally wandered to the places every parent’s mind goes when they’re scared.

What if this is something serious?

What if our lives are about to change forever?

You try so hard to stay positive. You tell yourself not to Google. You remind yourself that most of the time things work out. But then you’re lying awake at night wondering what tomorrow could bring. You’re trying to smile through the day because your child doesn’t need to carry your fear, while inside your mind is racing through every possible outcome.

I don’t think I’ve ever understood just how physically exhausting worry can be until this week.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, my phone started filling with messages.

One mom asked how we were doing.

Then another.

Then another.

Before I knew it, moms from our Serene Moms community were checking in throughout the day, asking for updates, praying for us, reminding me they were thinking about our family, and simply making sure I knew I wasn’t carrying this alone.

Some of the messages came from moms who had walked similar roads before. They shared their own stories, reminded me that waiting is often the hardest part, and gently offered the kind of reassurance that only another parent who’s been there can give.

I found myself leaning on them more than I ever expected.

It’s funny because when I started building Serene Moms, I dreamed about moms making friends. I dreamed about women finding people they could text when they were having a hard day. I imagined local meetups, group chats, and relationships that extended far beyond a virtual event.

But I don’t think I fully appreciated what those friendships could become until this week.

Community isn’t just having someone to grab coffee with.

It’s having someone to text when you’re sitting in a waiting room trying to keep yourself together.

It’s having another mom tell you, “I’ve been where you are.”

It’s opening your phone after a difficult appointment and realizing dozens of people you’ve never met in person are quietly carrying a little bit of the weight with you.

As moms, we spend so much of our lives being the ones who hold everything together. We comfort our children. We support our partners. We solve problems. We keep moving because that’s what motherhood asks of us.

But this week reminded me that sometimes we get to be the ones who are held.

When we finally received good news, I cried tears I didn’t even know I’d been holding back. My husband cried too. It felt like our entire family could finally breathe again after days of holding our breath.

And as I reflected on everything afterward, I kept thinking about all of those messages.

Every prayer.

Every “thinking of you.”

Every mom who took thirty seconds out of her day to check in.

None of them could change the outcome.

But they changed my experience of walking through it.

Instead of feeling isolated, I felt surrounded.

Instead of feeling like I had to carry every ounce of fear alone, I had dozens of women quietly helping me shoulder it.

I think that’s what community really is.

It’s not just celebrating birthdays or meeting for coffee or attending an event together. Those moments matter because they build the foundation for something much deeper.

Community is who shows up when life gets hard.

It’s who sits beside you in the waiting, even if they’re doing it through a phone screen.

It’s who reminds you that whatever tomorrow brings, you won’t have to face it alone.

This week reminded me why I believe so deeply in helping moms find one another. We spend so much time searching for parenting advice, but sometimes what we need even more is another mom to simply say, “I’m here.”

If you’ve been thinking about putting yourself out there—joining a meetup, introducing yourself in a group chat, or sending that first message to another mom—this is your sign.

You never know when the friendships you’re building today will become the hands that hold you up tomorrow.