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‘We Need to Pray for Stephanie. Her Marriage Is on the Rocks. Any Tidbit I Shared Was Leaked into the Community…’

Have you ever felt wronged by another woman? Have you ever had your secrets shared without permission? I can’t see your hands, but I’m guessing they’re raised as high as mine.

Let’s call these women the ‘Barbara Walters’. They are reporters. Their job is to gather facts and share them. They listen to you talk, copying script on their invisible pad, and then repeat it back to anyone willing to listen. Sometimes they even attach the required prayers and worry so what they say seems less gossipy and more sincere.

‘We need to pray for Stephanie. I heard her marriage is on the rocks…’

The Barbaras are smart. The Barbaras are cunning. The Barbaras are our friends.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

I graduated from high school eons ago, and somehow survived the sorority cliques of my college years, so I assumed that meant I was in the clear from cattiness. That advancing age automatically gave you maturity. That once you birthed a baby, us women were all on the same team.

But a few months into new motherhood, I learned the hard reality that mean girls still exist—they just become mommies too.

The majority of these women are easy to spot, they have closed-knit groups as oppose to close-knit groups. But I was so desperate as a new mother, so lonely and isolated, I was willing to conform. I was willing to accept friends that liked every single one of my Facebook posts, rather than truly liked me.

Last year was one of the toughest for me yet. My husband was diagnosed with a genetic heart condition, one with an unfortunate prognosis, and both of my children were diagnosed with autism. During this time, this extremely vulnerable time, I felt checked on and accounted for by the group of Barbaras more than anyone else. It was nice that someone was thinking of me during such hardships.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

But then I started to notice that any tidbit I shared was leaked into the community. Faraway acquaintances suddenly knew intimate details of my husband’s heart and my mental health. Months later, when the dust began to settle, these TMZ mothers let everyone know that my child had switched schools.

You see, it didn’t matter what it was, they were reporters. Gathering my information, my stories that were meant for me to share, and exposing them to the masses. There’s a delicate line between caring and sharing, but when it crosses over into curiosity then small talk, it’s considered wrong.

The Barbaras were bored, and it came at my cost.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

It’s the absolute worst when hurt comes from within our own camp. There’s no wrong like the kind from a close companion. I trusted her! I confided in her! We were friends!

I know. The Barbaras are bad apples.

But the good news is: we are allowed to excuse ourselves from the table. Isn’t that freeing? No permission slip necessary. Just get up. Adulthood allows us small privileges like wearing a one-piece, or binge-watching Bravo, or telling old Bab’s to take a hike.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

All you have to do is silently step away (likely this isn’t a friendship that deserves a grand finale anyway). Just create a little distance and allow room for newness to come in. Then reach out to that mom from the park you friended but never followed up with. Join a book club. Tell your own story, even if it’s just to yourself. YOU own the rights to your words and only YOU get to decide what and when to share.

Sometimes we all just want to be heard. It’s hard to get your footing in your new role as a mom. Many of us lose our careers, old friendships, free time—any identifiable marker of who we once were. And we start desperately blowing the whistle for help. ‘Come find me! I’m over here! I’m drowning and can’t find direction of who I’ll be next.’ But we must remember to be selective. To choose our words and our actions as carefully as we choose our friends.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan

Take your time and feel out authenticity. Let someone take a good look at you, and really see them too. Try not to judge (yourself included) and be patient. Not everyone will be a best friend. But if you can spark a similarity other than the surface, then run toward that light and tell Barbara to get her breaking news elsewhere.

We’ve got real friendships to find.

Courtesy Stephanie Hanrahan
Stephanie Hanrahan
Stephanie Hanrahan
Stephanie Hanrahan is wife to a sick husband, mother to special needs kiddos, and a woman who often unravels then finds her footing again. Learn how she traded her pretending for a panty liner on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog, Tinkles Her Pants (www.tinklesherpants.com), where she leaks nothing but the truth.

“It’s Not Easy”: An Honest Letter to My Husband on Valentine’s Day

"Here we are, 24 times we have celebrated Valentine’s Day... I feel like I am just lately really getting to know you."

Jimmy Carter: A Life of Faith, Service, and Legacy

Longest-living President Jimmy Carter has lived an incredible life rooted in deep Christian faith. From his time as the 39th President of the United States to his global humanitarian efforts, Jimmy Carter's legacy is one that honors God and country.

Lauren Daigle Returns to the ‘American Idol’ Stage That Rejected Her to Sing Multi-Platinum Hit “Look Up, Child”

Lauren Daigle returned to 'American Idol' to perform her hit song "Look Up, Child" for millions of fans—some in the audience and some watching from home.