Growing up, I seemingly heard “auntie” just as much as any other relative term. Not in a loose way—it wasn’t something just anyone could be called—but there seemed to be a lot more “aunties” in my life than my grandparents birthed. It took me years to understand its many layers, far beyond bloodlines.
Aunties weren’t just my mother’s and father’s siblings, aunties were close friends my mother trusted, who were taking a vested interest in helping to raise me. These women were our extended family; they helped make the village complete. And their role in how they provided support, guidance and love was unique.
For me, aunties and Sunday dinners went together effortlessly. I loved the sweet smells of my mother’s dishes flowing through the kitchen and house, but more importantly, I loved hearing her and her girlfriends exchange stories and laughs. I loved being able to share my latest school project or practice my upcoming performance for them, and I loved the advice they all gave. Sundays were about community—and my aunties were founding members.
My mom was fortunate to have created this network of solid female relationships throughout her childhood and young adulthood that carried her into motherhood. These women had been around a long time and knew all the heartfelt stories, the life-changing moments, the triumphs in my mom’s life. Naturally, they were just as invested in the life of her children.
Now, as a mother of three myself, I find leaning into the power of female friendships is enriching our lives tenfold.
Similar to my mother, I have built strong female relationships at different stages of my life. I have close friends from childhood, high school, college, and young adulthood. These friendships look different from how they began—there’s never as much time as there used to be to talk mindlessly about random things or go to brunches for hours. But these women are there whenever I need them most. They’re the ones who will pick up the call in a pinch or be on standby when big decisions need to be made.
Children are influenced by so many around them—peers, teachers, social media, and beyond. An auntie village is often the healing voice of reason, a listening ear outside of parents. There have been so many instances when my children have come home excited to tell a story to their aunties via Facetime or ask them for advice about a social situation. The beauty is that aunties can infuse the parental values while also bringing their own sauce to the conversation: their own stories, perspectives, skills, and aspirations. They give children another way of viewing the world.
Parenting can be one of the most rewarding journeys an adult can experience but let’s keep it real: it also can be extremely overwhelming at times. Female friendships offer a supportive network where parents can share experiences, seek advice, and find solace in knowing they’re not alone in their challenges. There have been countless times that I’ve called my girlfriends and shared stories or needed an uplifting voice to tell me I wasn’t doing it all wrong. This is a feeling I want all mamas to have in their journeys.
That’s largely why I started The Cool Mom Co. It’s my way of showing love to all my worldwide girlfriends via social media, our lifestyle website and our weekly podcast. It’s a community that demystifies the idea that womanhood and motherhood can’t coexist or that women can’t celebrate each other. I love being a woman, a mother and a champion for all of us to win, and I wanted to create a brand that celebrates all of that equally. This space is meant to be a place of inspiration, relatability and connection for mothers but also their friendships, because who is a cool mom without her crew?
So, here’s to celebrating the “aunties” in our lives—the ladies leaving indelible imprints on our hearts, one cherished moment at a time.
This feature is part of The Village Issue. Read more about the gamut of our most cherished relationships here.
