I was in the middle of a Christmas party last year when I started having contractions. I was only 30 weeks along and I was terrified. Per the on-call doctor’s directions, my husband and I left my two older children with their grandparents and headed over to the Emergency Department. I went through triage and was sent home after getting IV fluids and getting my blood pressure down. My contractions were due to my pre-eclampsia and severe dehydration. When I got home, the first person I contacted was my best friend, Amber.
Amber and I have been through all of life’s ups and downs together. We became friends at Summit School back in sixth grade. We went to elementary school, middle school, high school, and college together. When my Grandma, who helped raise me, died, she sat on the floor with me while I cried. When I needed a maid-of-honor, she stood by my side on my wedding day. When I had my first child, she was there. When my second child ended up in the NICU, she was there and when I was admitted to the hospital for severe pre-eclampsia, she was there. Practically every single day I was in the hospital, she was there. Even when there were snowstorms, guess what, she was there!
My two and a half week stay in the antepartum unit was really rough. I was hooked up to more IV meds than I could count and getting painful steroid shots to try to help my soon-to-be premature baby’s lungs develop. I was at an all time low. My two older children had to be ripped from my arms while screaming for Mommy when they left the hospital. I blamed myself for not being healthy enough for my baby and not being able to keep her in as long as she needed. The night I went into active labor, I had no one to take care of my children. Amber had to work an early morning, but she was there! She took my children back to my house and spent the night with them.
I was admitted at 30 weeks and had my daughter at 33 weeks gestation. She was immediately whisked away to the NICU. One of the very first people to get to meet her was her Godmother, Amber.
The moral of this story? Be the friend that shows up. You may never know the incredible impact the just showing up may make. I am forever in debt to my very best friend who always shows up. I hope when she needs me to show up, I can be there for her just as she was for me. Be there. Show love. Show kindness. Show up.
Sarah Pollack
Hello all! My name is Sarah. I am a wife, a Mother to 3 wonderful children, a business owner, a travel agent (website) and check us out), a learning coach for my virtual schooled children, a daughter and a friend. I live in North Prairie, WI with my family of 7 (we have two dogs named Maya and Luna). I have 3 children; Peyton who is 7, Lincoln who is 5, and Cora who just turned 7 months. My son and 2nd daughter were both NICU babies. My son has Autism, ADHD, and Sensory Processing Disorder so I fancy myself a well-rounded Momma. My husband and I both grew up in Oconomowoc, WI. We have known each other for a long time guys…he was my very first friend in 2nd grade at Summit Elementary! Do a little dance if you went to Summit Elementary! Woot Woot! We went our separate ways when we graduated from Oconomowoc High School in 2004. He went into the Army and did two tours in Iraq, while I stayed safe at home in Wisconsin at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I graduated with a Journalism degree and we both ended up in Virginia working for military contracting companies. We got married in 2009 and spent our honeymoon years eating our way around the DC area. When we decided to have a family, we came back home to Wisconsin. So, I wear many hats and I am so excited and honored to be able to add The Lake Country Mom Contributing Blogger hat to my repertoire.
Hello all! My name is Sarah. I am a wife, a Mother to 3 wonderful children, a business owner, a travel agent 
Leave a Reply