Kindergarten & My Virtual Reality
I love all the back-to-school posts I’ve been reading, it is so much fun to see how everyone’s children react differently (and my friends too) to school starting. There has been relief, joy, sadness and awe in the posts I’ve been reading. Nicholas started Kindergarten in July (his district is year-round, so they started this summer), and I felt all of those things too..
I was so excited for N to start, although school-supply shopping was disappointing for me (I was way more excited to pick out notebooks and folders than he was). The thing that really struck me about N starting Kindergarten was that it showed me just how long I’ve known some of the most amazing women I’ve ever met.
I first joined an online community in January 2004, a month after my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. I wanted to find women, like me, who were trying to get over the shock and grief of pregnancy loss and were also actively trying to get pregnant. And I did. And what a group of women they were! Most of us ended up with children, either biologically or through adoption. A few didn’t. Many of us told this tight-knit group that we were pregnant before we even told the dads! Happily, with just a few exceptions, we still keep in touch.
The next set of women I connected with were two smaller groups (heh) of ladies who were all plus-sized and trying to conceive (and then once that worked for me), plus-sized and pregnant. I don’t remember that many conversations about our size, but we became friends over talk of BDing and trying to find cute maternity clothes.
These ladies have served as my lifeline more times than I can count. We’ve been through pregnancy, infertility, illness, birth, divorce, marriage, teething, potty training, wedding planning, graduations, tantrums, death, lost jobs, business launches and more pregnancy. In no particular order. We are from all over the U.S. with a few crazy Canadians thrown in for fun. These ladies, some of whom I’ve never laid eyes on in real life? These ladies are some of my best friends. And I looked and Nicholas on his first day of school and knew that they were celebrating with me, and knew how bittersweet the day would be for me. And I celebrated with them. 
I celebrated with women I may never hug in real life, but who will always be some of my biggest supporters. We’ll continue to celebrate all the milestones virtually, but it won’t be any less important than the friends who I see every day.
And ladies? Can you believe our kids are in Kindergarten?!? Weren’t we *just* talking about pregnancy cravings? Love you guys!
Love this post, Sherry. Yes, we have had much to share over the past five years, and thank goodness for Facebook for re-connecting many of us. It is amazing how we can all be spread out all over the place, yet find commonality in all our lives, and share in the joys and the sorrows as well. Much love to you, and perhaps, in a few years, you can write about our “little ones” going off to college, or getting married. Wow…won’t that be fun:-)??
Christine,
I wonder if any of our little ones will get married? To each other, I mean. We would already like our in-laws 🙂
Sherry
Sherry,
I still maintain that Caleb is here partly because of the wonderful group of women we are so blessed to be a part of. I would have never told you when I wandered into that group (mistakenly as it was the “wrong” group for my situation) that almost 7 years later I would sign on to the computer every day just to see what is going on with everyone and make sure everyone is “ok”.
Christie
Christie,
I feel the same way. On paper, none of us makes sense as friends, we’re all so very different from each other. But thank goodness we found one another, I know I’ve needed each of you and your particular gifts.
Sherry
Sherry,
This brought tears to my eyes. It’s funny even through the years and life’s obstacles, I still remember the June baby group and our talks with each other. How I checked the boards every day. Now with school, work, a toddler, kindergarten, 1st grade and life i barely have time to check my pulse lol. Thank you so much for sharing with us your adventures with N & T <3
It is so hard to keep up with everything, but I love that we are connected still! And that we still care enough to stay connected! Besides, I can’t pass your place of business without thinking of you 🙂
Sherry
Sending you some love. Beautiful post, Sherry! 🙂
I appreciate it.
Sherry
So true, I had tears in my eyes when I read that N went to kindergarten that day. He was the first of ‘our’ kids to go. sniff sniff….
Kristina,
I was kind of glad that everyone started school at different times, we got to congratulate without anyone getting lost in the shuffle!
Sherry