Well drats!!! I had written almost an entire post….then *thought* I saved it because I had to go do something or other, and came back to discover that it’s GONE!!!
Anyway…I was trying to share about dedicating sweet Ice Cream, and what a blessing it is to have a church family who loves and supports us! One of our small group members had described the group as “a comfy sweater” and I just loved that so much!
When we started out as parents, nearly 7 years ago, we were pretty much going it alone, at least as far as anyone nearby. And my first attempts at making Mommy friends left me feeling jaded and thinking a village was the last thing we needed. Most of the people I encountered were more interested in telling you how you HAD to make your baby cry it out if you didn’t want to ruin your baby’s ability to sleep forever, or you were recklessly destroying the environment if you didn’t cloth diaper, or were stupid if you had a c-section, blah blah blah blah blah!
Bus as I slowly found a friend here and a couple friends there that weren’t like that, I realized how valuable community really was! Most of those friends I hardly manage to see anymore, but I’m so grateful for each one of them! And then we found a great church nearby a few years ago, and we joined a small group, and I IMMEDIATELY felt loved and supported! It’s been a total life saver being able to do life with them! <3
So anyway…if you don’t have a church family, consider finding one! If you’re in church, but not part of a small group…give one a chance…it might be one of the best things you’ve ever done! And as a friend, if you find yourself telling someone about how you’ve chosen to parent in a way that indicates your way is the best way, and they should change their evil ways and copy you…close your mouth. We all need someone to come beside us and encourage us and just be our friend without any judgement…none of us need lectures about how to parent “the right way.”
And all of us need coffee! OK, well maybe not…but I do! 😀