In Which Kanga is Thankful

I work at a company that promotes itself as "family-friendly." That may be, but the executive leadership was certainly in for a shock last spring when not one, not two, but FIVE of its female employees, several in senior positions, traipsed into the COO's corner office to announce impending babies. Around the same time, a male employee stuck his head in to mention that his wife was pregnant, too.

April through June of last year must have been a challenging time for these bosses.

As the dust settled, I found myself with five new friends (a former employee returned to town and quickly -- efficiently! -- gave birth in order to join our motley crew).

I had known all of the women before in a professional capacity. All were -- are! -- capable, insightful, intelligent. Some intimidated me. I respected all of them highly.

But now...we are moms together, walking around with barf on our shoulders at the same time that we shape a client strategy, changing diapers at 4 am with the same deftness that we bring to a creative brief.

I feel extremely fortunate. So many new mothers are thrust into the fretful niveau of the "moms' group," with nothing in common with other women except hey, we all have babies....ummm...awkward silence descends.

But me? I got to meet these women first in a professional capacity, present ideas with them, drink and dance with them at the infamous holiday party, grab burgers with them.

We vetted each other first, when we were our "old selves." And now -- now we are so much more, those old selves enhanced and dimensionalized, but never erased.