i need another shower
By annemarie on May 22, 2009 | Filed Under faces & places, parenting
Last weekend I went to a baby shower. It seems in life some things come in waves – and weddings and baby showers definitely fall into that category. So this was my first baby shower in awhile and I left with an incredible “I am woman hear me roar” feeling. When I tweeted about going to a great shower I had a people question what made it so great, which got me to pondering just why it was so special.
I think it comes down to the sense of community. The shower was for the head of my five-year-old’s after school care, who is having a baby in June, so the attendees were a hodge podge of mums from the school and other child care workers and everyone’s kids. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon and there was a slip and slide set up for the kids in the sunshine while the mum who was hosting had gone all out setting up her front yard with tables for the adults in the shade.
Everyone had brought a dish to share – there was everything from Korean pancakes to crab dip – and it was all delicious. There was also a lovely mix of women. Most were mums of at least one, but we had a few mums-to-be including a first, second and third-timer, plus a first-time grandma to be and a brand new mum. The second-timer had her baby two days after the shower. There weren’t any silly games or very much formal at all – just a chance to catch up with a community that usually sees each other in passing at drop off and pick up. We hung out, chatted, a few of us got sprayed by the garden hose when the kids got a bit rambunctious but there was very much a sense of passing on wisdom and of community banding together to support a woman having a baby. It felt like I imagine it would have been fifty years ago when you had a baby and your neighbors gathered around and supported you.
One of the cutest parts was the gift giving, as the kids, who ranged from five to eight, were all SO excited to show the guest of honour what they’d chosen for her. As the guest of honour opened each gift, the giver would be hoping around her saying things like, “I wrote the card myself” or, “I helped pick this out.” One little girl even sewed her a baby quilt.
The hostess had gone all out too and obviously loves throwing a party. She’d spent much of the night before labouring (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun) over a professional looking cake with fondant icing – as well as setting everything up for maximum comfort for the guests.
There was definitely something indefinable about it, but hopefully I’ve managed to capture some of the loveliness of the afternoon…
I didn’t have a baby shower myself. My daughter came early and so she pre-empted our plans. However, the best bridal shower I’ve ever been to was the one my Brownies threw for me when I was their leader. It was very sweet, the enthusiastic kids who’d picked out their gifts and made cards and decorated. There’s something about kids, they just make events like these special I think.