An Open Letter To My Friends

Dear, well, everyone:

My entry into the blogging world came a very long time ago. In fact I even remember exactly how I found the genre. I found them through Jennifer Weiners website. At her main site she linked to her blog and I began to followed it. More importantly, at the bottom of her blog she had links to others - mom blogs, writer blogs. I read them all. At the time my children were little and my job was out of town Monday through Friday so I would spend my evenings after I got back to my hotel going from blog to blog - reading and commenting. Eventually though, the kids got a little older, my life got busier and my attention span drifted away. Ultimately though I would always return - I would always go back and read Jennifer's blog and then link, link, link to others. I loved hearing what others had to say.

Then I got divorced.
It's hard to explain the loneliness that I felt at that time. It's funny, the more you stay alone the more difficult it becomes to get out - or at least it has been for me. I can count, on one hand, the number of times since I was divorced that I've gone out with friends. Its easy because the number of times is none. At first I said I was a hermit jokingly then it became reality.

So, at the beginning of this year I made a commitment to myself. I was tired of being alone. I was also seriously freaked out about going out and trying to find a friend. So, being the nerd that I am I decided to let the internet be my guide. My first venture in was Facebook or, as my 13 year old daughter calls it, the gateway drug to Twitter. I enjoyed Facebook and I still do but was craving immediate gratification (like any good addictive personality would).

That led me to Twitter I found my first few friends on Twitter through their 'follow me' birds on their blogs. I took them at their word that they would follow me back and you know what? For the most part you have. I've linked from person to person and somehow, over the span of a few months now have dozens of women (and men) that I call friends. I remember my first few tweets as well - I apologize if you were one of those who received one - they were really, really bad - worse than the drivel I tweet now if you can believe it.

All of this to say....

Thank you so much for the friendship and support you have all given to me over the past 4 months. To say that you've helped prop me up and bring back the person who was lost for so many years is not an understatement. I hope that in some way I am supporting you back as well. Just six months ago I would have been terrifed to write about my recovery, my family, my life but watching you all write...it made ME want to open up more - and that is something I've ran from for a very long time.

YOU are part of my life now.
And I'm so glad.
xoxo, sober mommy

2 comments:

Sober Mommy said...

I luff you beautiful.

Sober Mommy said...

Amanda, I think you are awesome. You're commitment to changing your life and then doing it every minute of every day "wows" me every time I think of you. Keeping it simple is my new mantra. Thank you for sharing your journey.

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