This column is an installment of the regular feature Tara Thompson writes as president of the Wilton Newcomer’s Club.
Today I logged on to the Wilton Newcomer’s Club (WNC) website and saw an event I hadn’t planned at all. That hasn’t happened in over a year.
A few minutes later my inbox pinged, and I opened a WNC email I hadn’t written or even proof-read. Small things, I know, but somehow they just seem so… wrong.
I can’t complain–as I look back on my year as president of the Wilton Newcomer’s Club, we’ve done some pretty great things. We’ve toured the Wilton Fire Department, eaten ice cream at Merwin Meadows, boo-hoo’d & woo-hoo’d as we sent our kids on their first day of school, had a dance party at Fleur de Lis, enjoyed mani/pedis at Mint, let the guys golf at Rolling Hills Country Club (while we gals enjoyed cocktails!), struck a pose at Hello Yoga, bellied up to the bar at the Barre Studio, carved pumpkins in the park, got spooky on Halloween, karate-chopped with the kids at Kempo, threw a Volunteer Fair at the Wilton Library, played tennis at Four Seasons, made wreaths at Woodcock Nature Center, Rocked Around the Christmas Tree at Ambler Farm, decorated gingerbread houses at Create Learning Center, played snowy paddle at the Lake Club, ice skated at Winter Garden, sparkled at Sparklicious, watched the kids tumble at Tumble Jungle, wine tasted with Dancing on Grapes, headed back to RHCC to celebrate the arrival of spring, had a blast at several Bunko nights, and enjoyed countless morning coffees (and many, many bottles of wine). In the middle of our fabulous year, we even celebrated WNC’s 50th Anniversary with a murder mystery themed cocktail party catered by Cafe Ruche as we listened to jazz by Black Tie Affair.
Wow–we were busy!
But even as I typed that long list of events, it’s not really the events themselves that come to mind first. Instead it’s the people who served alongside me on the WNC Board.
Tonight my mind is playing the kind of slideshow you see at graduation ceremonies and sweet sixteen parties. I see Lynn Perna cheering me on at paddle even though we could barely see during the snowstorm and I sure couldn’t feel my feet. I remember talking with Sarah McCall until nearly 2 a.m. after one of our first meetings. Giggling at Amy Cooper as she fought for balance at Hello Yoga… and then falling over myself. There was Christine Genereux stirring the “cauldron” in full costume at our Halloween party. Freezing on an exceptional chilly fall day with Nicole Decore at Merwin Meadows, chasing my daughter’s crafts as they blew away in the wind, wishing I’d thought to bring a coat for myself so I could stay longer. Leaving our 50th Anniversary celebration with Maggie Bittner and Jennifer Jacobs only to hang out afterwards for hours, still snacking and drinking and not wanting the night to end. Convincing Amy Bernard to change out of her PJs and come over to take our picture even though her camera didn’t have a flash and none of them turned out well. Ruthlessly updating WNC’s by-laws over lunch with Jaclyn Coleman, using our red pens more than our forks. Amy Schallop (who joined us in January as we were all on some kind of cleanse) asking, “Didn’t you say there would be wine at these meetings?” The first time I met Jessica White over manicures at Mint, knowing well before the polish dried that she would be the perfect addition for our Board… and knowing within a month or so that she would be the one I asked to succeed me as president.
One memory stands out as truly representative. Sitting in Sarah Taylor’s kitchen as she bustled around making everything perfect for her first Morning Coffee. Her house was already decorated for Thanksgiving, and it smelled of charred wood and allspice. For some reason that morning is particularly vivid to me. We had a nice turnout, probably a dozen Newcomers or so, and spent a couple of hours chatting about holiday plans and meddling in-laws. And I remember a warmth in my stomach that had nothing to do with the hot coffee or the roaring fire in Sarah’s hearth. I knew I was surrounded by friends–not fellow moms I just happened to volunteer with, but people I genuinely cared about, and who I knew cared about me.
In the months that have since passed, I’ve come to treasure this group of women even more. And although I will no longer be president of the Wilton Newcomer’s Club, I will remain on the Board and look forward to another wonderful year filled with fun events and special memories…and always, friendship.
So for everyone who thinks they don’t have enough time in their day to do anything besides tending to their home and kids and husband, I ask you to make the time to get involved in your community. True, you might not really know the women asking you to serve on the Board of the Newcomers Club or the PTA or the Charity fundraiser. And yes, at first glance, it might seem like a lot of work. But at the end of your term, you will probably know and appreciate your fellow Board members more than you ever expected. Joining a group and working towards a shared, worthwhile goal is not a burden, it’s an opportunity. Take the chance. I promise you, it’s well worth it.