This past weekend I met up with some women from the Philadelphia Single Mother By Choice (SMC) group. There were about 7 or 8 women and 4 or 5 kids. It was a really nice afternoon. I am glad I went. As with my first meet up with these women I came away feeling good about my choice to pursue the same path to motherhood and impressed with how happy their children seem.
This time I came away with another impression as well. There were two women who were first timers at the meeting. We discussed where we were in the process and why we were there. Basically we were all at the meet up for the same reason. We are trying to create the community that we need. They say it takes a village to raise a child and we are trying to fill our village with families that will look like ours. I left the meeting thinking about how important it is for all of us to create the communities we need.
In the same neighborhood as the SMC meet up there happen to be a huge block party going on. I mean this block party covered several city blocks in all directions. I found out later that it was the LGBTQ communities Outfest block party. While I was inside meeting and connecting with women on a similar life path as me to build my community, there were hundreds if not thousands of people right outside doing the same thing, connecting with people on a similar life path to build their communities.
Building the communities we need is a vital aspect of finding more Joy.
No one goes through life alone. When we feel alone or isolated depression can creep in, sickness is more likely, and anxieties are more prevalent.
Seek out your community. When I go to blog conferences in addition to learning I am there to fill my community with bloggers. When I go to church I am there to praise God but also to bring more Christians into my community. When I go to family functions sometimes there is a bit of obligations but I am also there to include my family members into my community. This is the same reason we go to alumni functions and outings with friends and co-workers. All of these activities serve to build our communities.
So, if you are feeling lonely. If you don’t have people on a similar life path as you I challenge you to do the work to bring those people into your community. Show up at the meet up. Honor the invitation to get together.
What are you doing to build the community you need?
If you already have your community make sure you Find Joy In Your Circle of Trust.
What a great article! I've been telling people this my whole life, it's good to see someone else with a positive point of view!
I didn't really how toxic my community was until I was out of it. Definitely important to surround yourself with amazing people
This is so true. Be it a whole community or just a close knit group of friends. I remember when we used to have block parties when I was young. Such good fun!
I'm not very much involved in my community as I was before. Thanks for the reminder to be involved. This sounds like a great group.
This is great advice. Building a community is important. Those connections can help you succeed and get though the rough times.
We definitely receive what we speak into our lives and what we welcome into our lives, like you said 'honor the invitation' you have to be present and active to build any kind of community, it's not just going to find you! LOL 🙂
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
It's great when you can find a group of women that you can relate to. Having community really makes a difference!
I'd never heard of a community like this. I'm sure it makes the journey easier to have that support system in place!
You are so inspirational! People tend to get mired in what isn't working instead of seeking what does, I think. Get up and go, find your people! Great messaging.
I offered to be the ambassador in my area for the VA bloggers group to help create the community I needed, which was bloggers in my area who want to support each other.
It's nice that you're taking action to try and create the community you need. It's also great that you've found others w/the same goal.
We just moved this past August and I'll be honest I'm not too interested in being active in my new community. I'll help out at my kids school and such but beyond that, our city just doesn't interest me beyond parenting activities. – Jeanine
What a great post and I love that you are networking and meeting women who have chosen a simialr path. I am a mom of twins and joined a group of mother of multiples….they have been amazing through the years.
I'm working on getting out there and meeting more likeminded individuals like myself.
I would enjoy meeting and enjoying a community like that. Great post.
Happy you found a community you can relate to! That's so important as we take our own journeys in life…. It's always good to have someone who knows what you're going through and can relate to it.
What a great group!! So happy you found them to create your community.
Connecting with people is great! I love this post. I need to connect more with others, been working and raising kids; time to spend more time with what matters to me too!
It's really nice to be able to connect with people like that. It's so nice that you were able to find that SMC community!
It is so important to be part of a positive community. Currently, we are not, but I hope to one day soon.
I try to "listen between the lines" when people talk to hear what they need. Watching for Help Wanted signs in their area of expertise or families who need the clothes their family no longer fits into are ways to help.
Community is important whether you are raising a child or living with others. Its about coming together to help each other and make it a better place to live.
I love this article. Every aspect of our lives is based on community, when you really think about it. Heck, people even look for workout partners.
I am not really that involved in my community, but I am happy in my town. I just have everything I need already 🙂
I am involved in my community by volunteering to help serve others.
I agree, community is so important. I am grateful that I know how to build that for myself, and more important, I am thrilled that my son has that because of where we live. He has always been surrounded by friends, from t-ball to nursery school, to middle school to Hebrew school. I am very conscious of this subject!
thanks,
Mitch
I agree community is very important. My community consists of other families with small children and professional women who are trying to break the glass ceiling. I just started blogging so I hope to become a member of a blogging community as well.
Never heard of that community, but it sounds like it is a good one. It is always important to found outlets and communities in order to learn and be around like minded people. Especially those dealing with similar things.