A few weeks ago I met one of my first online friends along with a dear friend of mine. I found what my college describes as communio – community. We are all moms who have struggled and continue to struggle with depression and anxiety. We shared laughter, compassion and tears over coffee and conversation. The hours passed by like minutes. Thank you so much A and L for a wonderful Sunday afternoon. I am so grateful to have both of you in my life.
Last week, I had lunch with a work friend of mine. We were commiserating over the hardships of balancing your professional life with your family life. I confessed that I had suffered from postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety with Skeeter. She reached out her hand across the table and put it on my hand. Just the look on her face and that touch told me her truth before she even spoke it. She too is a Warrior Mom. She is struggling with PPA for the second time. I have found another member of my tribe. G, I am so grateful to have found another mama like me. My tribe of Warrior Moms that I know in real life is growing. This tribe understands me in a way that some of my other friends could not. I am so grateful for this tiny but growing tribe.
And I’m so happy for you too! Online support has been amazing, but there’s just something about face-to-face and hearing someone’s voice.
Thank you so much Rach! My online support has been fantastic, and I want to address that in another post. In fact that online support has led me to taking the initiative and trying to develop and nurture friendships. The most hilarious moment of my meeting with A was her comment that I looked exactly like my Twitter avi.
that’s great! i wish i could find some real life friends who understand me like that.
It took me a while to get up the courage to email the blogger friend. Give yourself time. I’ve discovered the more I open up, the more others come forward with similar experiences.
That’s so great. And especially amazing that you confessed to something that might be hard to share and found someone who understands.
Thanks Robin. I had a hunch about this work friend, and my intuition was right. I am so grateful to have found an offline tribe to complement my fantastic online support system.