I am lucky to have found/created a network of like-minded friends in both the physical and the online worlds which has been an invaluable source of support and given me a sense of belonging to a strong community. It feels good to know we're all in this - life, parenthood - together.
If, as they say, it takes a village to raise a child, then my village spans across hemispheres and continents, as well as across the time zones of my life. I have connected and reconnected with new and old friends. Some have babies of the same age as Hugo and we support each other as we stumble through the same stages,while others are a few months or years ahead and offer some much needed perspective.
In my physical life, I have found a small core group of friends I love and which I can organise my week around. On an ideal week, I am able to have a social engagement most days, whether it is a walk by the ocean, a coffee on Darby St. or an afternoon tea at home. Pretty simple stuff but this is what I love the most - afternoons chatting away as the sun drops towards the horizon.
Online, I enjoy the surprises of who and how people will respond. Yesterday, I posted a status update on Facebook about feeling a bit down and was cheered up by heartfelt messages of support. A friend brought me a coffee which we enjoyed by the beach. Another sent me an image of a garden inside a bottle. Another yet wished she was there to have a playground chat or take Hugo for a walk while another friend made sure I came to yoga this morning.
All these attentions, big and small, close or far, help me take a deep breath when I need it and they are the difference between being alone and feeling lonely. Luckily for me, I am neither.
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