MUMS give moms a chance to connect
Group meets Tuesday mornings at St. Paul’s Lutheran
NEW ULM — Mothers are supporting each other through their personal experiences and faith during the weekly Moms Understanding Moms in View of the Savior (MUMS) group.
Every Tuesday, 9:30-11 a.m., mothers and soon-to-be mothers are meeting at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (201 N. State St.) to take a break with others who have faced the daily difficulties of motherhood.
“We are just basically a group of moms with kids that get together and last year we just basically we got together, drank coffee and then we encouraged each other with our stories and pointed them to God’s word,” Hannah Scharf, a regular attendee, said.
In the teen center in the basement of the church, the mothers sit and chat on sofas while their young children play.
“It is really a fun group and it is all varying ages,” Scharf said. “Like one lady came last week and she had a two-week-old. So she just had the baby and then she came with her two-week-old and her two-year-old.”
MUMS is expanding its list of activities beyond the walls of St. Paul’s. They have colored pictures for veterans during Veterans Day and visited residents at the Woodstone Senior Living Community.
“This year we sort of have taken it a little bit further,” Scharf said. “We wanted to try to do a service activity every month. We meet every Tuesday but then we are also trying to do something. We have a bible study once or twice a month and another time we just visit and the fourth time we try to do something.”
The idea of visiting the Backerei or renting a room at Vogel Field House has been floated, though nothing is confirmed yet.
Along with camaraderie, the mothers offer each other support in difficult times as well as, how Scharf put it, “The day to day things you encounter as a mom.”
The group will share concerns they have about their children, such as sleeping habits, and use each others’ personal experiences as comfort.
The moms also support soon-to-be mothers. There are a couple of pregnant members who can reach out to other moms with concerns over their pregnancies.
The moms support each other through singular trial as well. Such as making food for each other when one is dealing with health complications.
“One of our moms, her husband is training in the military so she has been a solo parent for six months now I would say, he left this summer” Scharf said. “So then she just started coming to the group and she looks forward to Tuesdays because she is not able to talk to her husband in person. So it is just a nice support for her.”
Ultimately the sense of belonging and feeling that others care and share the same experiences can help mothers through difficult days.
“I feel like when somebody says ‘I will keep you in my prayers this week,’ just knowing that when I am making dinner and I am on the verge of breaking down because everybody needs me to help them with homework or piano lessons or whatever, just knowing that they are bringing me to God’s throne, you know for something so minor as just making it through the day is comforting,” Scharf said.
MUMS meetings are subject to change based on the school schedule. Anyone with further questions can contact Hannah Scharf or Karyn Clemons via Facebook. No registration or payment is necessary, feel free to just show up.
ccummiskey@nujournal.com
COMMENTS