Coming out from Underground: Friendships in real-life, Facebook & blogland

I’ve been hiding away for a while. Energy to even think about scheduling time to see friends, let alone do it, has escaped me. I am so grateful for patient, caring friends. I’m also so thankful to friends I’ve made through blogging, who send me uplifting messages first thing in the morning, late at night – sometimes in the middle of the night (Hay, Jen & Cyndi, I’m thinking of you x)! I haven’t been reading as much as usual, mostly been sleeping – in interrupted bursts. But I’m feeling more positive this Friday, thanks to caring friends, sunshine, coffee and an understanding doctor.

Last Friday Meghan from MNM’s came to visit with her gorgeous sons. It was so lovely to see her and thankfully her boys and my two youngest girls got on a treat. This Friday morning a lovely friend, who I met through this blog, visited with her adorable three month old to return some baby things I’d lent her. Her little girl brought tears of joy to my eyes. Last night, a friend stopped by for a brief fish n chips before flying to his home north of Auckland – we’d also met through this blog. There’s quite a theme running here.

I’ve made some wonderful friendships in the fourteen years or so I’ve lived in New Zealand. Most of the original friends I had have long since left these shores. Friendships made in my before children days, mostly through work. Sometimes I get stuck in a rut of thinking of family and friends far away and forget that right on my doorstep there are so many wonderful people, I just need to let them in and step out of my front door a little more often! And I am still in touch with a few friends from my old work days, that do still live here in Wellington, only we often all get so busy with our growing families that it’s hard to schedule time to get together.

Well, with the clocks swinging forward this third Sunday in September I really am going to try to make more of an effort. It’s time to de-rust the BBQ (sounds appetizing – not!), unearth the salad books, stock up the fridge and open up the windows and doors. Social recluse I can quite happily be for a while, but too much of one thing is never healthy and I’m in danger of fading away into the wall-paper (that is if we had any – perhaps the carpet – with the encrusted play-dough, flour and glitter).

Friends in the flesh really are the best, but I am so thankful for the likes of Facebook for keeping me sane through the past few wintery months (even if they do keep changing the layout – read another blogger friend’s hilarious post on ‘criteria for a facebook cull‘). And I’m grateful for the new friends I’m made through blogging, some of which I haven’t yet met in ‘real life’, but they have become very real in my life and I hope very much to meet them one day – as their words have often inspired, uplifted, amused me, educated me and supported me along this wonderfully rich tapestry of life.

Thank you my on-line friends, mentioned throughout this post, as well as Ruta, Julie, Heather, Vix for your supportive words and thank you to my real life friends near and far.

I am making a pledge to get out and about more with the longer, lighter evenings – hold me to it!

A final word – Charlotte, my 8 year old, has set a challenge at Lyrical Sunday – to write something lyrical on the theme ‘Underground’. I think she’s running along the lines of crystals and gems, but I’m thinking more along the lines of ‘underground parties’ and moles! If you are feeling creative with your words please join us this Sunday (eek, I better get writing!).