You’ve Got A Friend In Me
There are many things I love about blogging. The immediacy of it. The opportunity to express ideas both silly and serious. The conversations that spring up and the sense of community that gets created with bloggers and readers.
I’ve met some very cool people through blogging. People I never would have had a chance to meet without an internet connection and a chance to speak. Although it’s a little frustrating to make even more friends who live thousands of miles away from me, it’s also exciting and strangely satisfying. It’s odd, having these friends I’ve never met, but it’s comforting as well.
Tonight was not a good night chez solo mom. It was a very bad night on the heels of a difficult day where Diva Girl was off school and seemingly hell bent on making my life a living hell. One of those days where if I said “up,” she would say “down.” If I spent half an hour cleaning a room, she’d follow behind me and in 30 seconds make it look like I hadn’t done a thing. By 8 o’clock, I was ready to kill her, and she wasn’t too fond of me, either.
And then Kate popped up online. If you read the comments, you know Kate. She’s a solo mum from New Zealand who always has a kind word or a funny anecdote to share. She’s been one of my most loyal readers since this blog started, and she’s also become a friend.
When Kate asked “how’s your day been?” the damn burst and I poured out all of the day’s frustrations. I told her about Diva Girl’s inability to appreciate my need to clean up the crap on my floor, about her inability to appreciate the difference between beside the garbage and in the garbage, about my inability to keep from yelling at her for it. And Kate said, “put her on with me.” She didn’t judge. Didn’t tsk. Didn’t lecture or make me feel worse than I already did. She said, “go make yourself a hot chocolate and let me talk to Diva Girl.” Then, for the next 20 minutes, she struggled through my 8 year old daughter’s hunt and peck typing. She joked with her, gently chastised her for making her mother mental, and brought calm to my chaotic home, all from a world away.
I am very lucky to have this blog. To have a place where I can stay connected to old friends and make new ones. I’m lucky to have this life–crap strewn rug and all–and people I’ve never even met to share it with. And that’s what I love most about blogging.