Some of my best friends I have met online..
Most are mothers themself, and they help me be a better mum. They live in an APP on my phone and some of them I have never met before…and maybe I never will.
They are amazing, though.
In November 2018, I made the decision to start an online blog, I had been struggling mightily with my mental health. And I was wanting somewhere I could write down my feelings—a way of getting them out of my mind and deciphering them.
I didn’t think people would read it, but soon I was making friends. You think I’m crazy, don’t you? That some of my best friends live on my phone, most I have never met. I know what your thinking, how can these friendships be real?
Two years later, and I can honestly tell you that, yes, they are real.
These are some of the most important friendships I have.
They have seen me through some hard times, and I have been there for them. They have seen me cry over spilt milk, literally and I talk to them daily about absolutely nothing. We understand each other and the craziness of being a mother—That’s friendship.
Most evenings, after the kids go to bed and my husband is working late into the night, I’m alone. Sometimes, I’m so lonely am close to tears when I reach for my phone, open Instagram, and start scrolling or story watch. Sometimes I create my own story telling my friends, how I feel at that moment.
“This is sometimes the hardest part of the day when the kids go to bed, and I’m alone.”
I often use stories to have a good moan. There’s no harm in it, they can always ignore it. Moments later, my phone is vibrating with the “me too”‘s. But then, they’ve got me laughing with stories of their own mum fails that day. They get me through those lonely nights. They entertain me, make me smile when I feel like I could curl up and cry.
I love these women.
They have become more than little icons on my phone screen. I honestly don’t think my mental health would be where it is without them all. You have heard parenting takes a village, and these ladies are mine. I often find myself isolated from the outside world, and these ladies open it up again.
They are from all over the world, we all parent in different ways, we have many beliefs and our families are diverse. Despite all this, we are a close group of friends.
Ok, these wonderful ladies are on my phone, but they are real, I’ve been lucky that I have met some of them and it was like meeting an old friend. We were friends before we met.
The online community is my safe place.
Its where I can talk about my most unfavourable parenting times, the spirits I escape to when I feel like no one recognises what I’m going through. They are there for me, time after time.
I’ve been there to see their babies born, getting married, and more. I’ve held a virtual hand when their children are sick, the husband has left for work for weeks or just having a bad day. They tell me about how they felt after baby loss, suicidal thoughts and break ups. And sometimes we have fallen out, just like friends can. There have been words, but ultimately we come back together. We love each other, so we forgive and move on. Its a friendship like no other I have had, its easier to be honest behind a screen, so sharing our feelings is more comfortable.
These guys make me a better person, and for that, I’m forever grateful.