I arrive to my friend’s house…
Baby sleeping
Cat sleeping
Washing machine on
It’s raining outside
She needed to do some admin & called to see if I could tend to the bub. So I adjusted my plans to be there.
There’s something precious to me about community. Showing up to support one another. Giving when you have some time or resources free. Being integral when you promise you’ll be here for them.
Especially to new mummas. They need it the most. To not feel like they are alone in a sea of breastfeeds, broken sleeps & dirty laundry.
Something you may not know about me is that I spent a lot of time living with my friends when I was 16-21. A friends family even set up a bedroom for me in their house, as my living situation was unstable, felt unsafe or I was kicked out of home again…
I would call them when I needed help. They would pick me up (if I wasn’t driving) and they would tell me what’s for dinner. They never asked what was going on. And so much of me wished I had someone to talk to to make sense of what was happening, but nonetheless they were there to offer me food & shelter.
I played musical house for years. With friends families becoming my own. I owe it to them that I’m still here today.
So friends are like family to me. When someone is in need I offer a bed in my home. I do their food shopping. I do their dishes. I cook for them & their children. I take the kids out for the day. I listen as they share their stories. I’ll send lengthy voice notes & have long phone calls. I gift massages & coregulating cuddles.
This world can feel lonely a lot of the time. A lot of us have been displaced from our blood families, by choice or by circumstance. We live in our seperate homes, drive in our individual cars and spend so much of our time trying to live to survive.
So when someone calls me and says they need me - I feel honoured. That they can trust me in asking. That they feel safe to lean on me. It’s a gift to give, and see the ripple effect that has, to make us feel a little less alone in this world.
How could you make someone/yourself feel a little less alone today?
mermaids exploring the south west