If anyone noticed my banner at the bottom of my blog, I am about to unravel the story behind it.
The May Mommies as we call ourselves are going to meet up in Kansas City MO this summer to celebrate our kids 5th Birthdays. We are coming from all over this country and Canada. Some of us have met in real life, most of us haven’t. This is something we have been planning for years. It will be an all family event. Mothers, fathers, and kids kids kids. I know them all intimately. They know me intimately.
How do I begin to describe this to people who don’t know? A group of people I have met on the internet almost 6 years ago. But it’s so much more.
I guess I should start at the beginning. Sometime in the fall of 2002, there was a little internet due date board for pregnant mom’s due in May of 2003. Being newly pregnant, I joined this group. It was open to the public, and it was fun. It was really helpful to me because I had never been pregnant to go through this with a group of people. Share stories, symptoms, etc.
I was the first in our group to give birth, my son Brian is the 1st May baby, born too soon in March of 2003. One by one, everyone gave birth, and we began sharing our lives in earnest. Sometime in the summer of 2003, we decided as a group, to make the group private, and we have elected to not let anyone new in.
So now almost 6 years later, these women, and men, and family’s are my friends. They are more than important to me. They have been there for me through thick and thin. We became parents together. We shared stories of our babies, we shared pictures. I know each baby by name, and face. I know where they live. We have become a special group. A group of friends. But it is still strange to say to people in real life “my online mommy group”. That sounds so inadequate for what this is.
These people are my friends. I would trust any one of them with my children sight unseen. We have been through so much together over the last 6 years. We have been through tremendous tragedy. We have lost loved ones together. We have become parents over and over together. What started out as a fun internet hobby, has turned into a place I can go, at any time of the day or night and find answers, find love and compassion, find insights that I can’t see myself.
As one of us said a long time back, we are real life friends, the real deal. We come from all backgrounds, income levels, and places. Even our respective husbands have come to understand the importance of this group. My husband will think about something, then tell me to ask the MM’s. I will and I will get tons of insightful help. It’s not all back patting either. If someone doesn’t agree, that will be stated as well in a respectful way. Over the course of all these years, I can’t remember one fight, or disagreement amongst ourselves.
So here’s to the best group in the world. The May Mommies...and Daddys...and Kids...and Brothers and Sisters...
We will be tearing up Kansas City in July of this year, and I personally can’t wait!!!!
That's so sweet.
Posted by: Solo | February 22, 2008 at 12:33 PM