On that note…

Speaking of walking, I betook myself and the girls yesterday, through the park, over the river, past the formidably standing Church of Scotland, and to Northcroft Medical Centre. Monday is the day that their Breastfeeding Group meets: a time to get to know other mums and receive support. Last week I’d taken the bus to the hospital and went to the Breastfeeding Group there, but I didn’t like it much. I felt—well—basically, like a non-descript wall-flower. I did enjoy the brief few words interchanged between the woman sitting beside me; but, like me, she was not a talker. Most of the mums there were years older than myself, and I felt out of place as I watched the clock tick away, counting the minutes until I could get out of there.
On Wednesday I had a health visitor from Love Street Clinic come in to check on Kiera and weigh her: Irene. She was sweet and gentle and told me about the Breastfeeding Group at Northcroft. “In fact”, she told me, “it’s close enough that you could walk there. Aria is welcome to come as well; we’re pretty laid back.” I thought, “Well, I’ll give this one a try and see how it goes.”
So come this Monday morning, off we went. As soon as I walked into the room, I felt far more at home than I did at the other place. Sunshine pouring through the windows gave the room a warm glow and I felt somehow welcomed as I came in—perhaps because Irene’s familiar face smiled at me from the corner. The other group had been somewhat of a free for all, this group had more order, a basis from which acquaintances could be more comfortably established. And I enjoyed it—enjoyed it immensely. Sure, at times I still felt like my verbal communication was stinted as I stumbled through my words (I have a far more difficult time connecting with people verbally rather than through the written word). But somehow, in the big picture, it was okay; I was okay. I felt sorry when our time ended, but left looking forward to next Monday.
Fellowship is such a crucial part of human existence. Part of the reason I’ve been wanting to settle down in one place for a while is to establish the relationships that add joy to life. In our short sojourns here and there since graduating from Bethany College, I have definitely encountered wonderful people who have kept warm friendship in my life. However, inevitably, before much time passes, those relationships move to long distance ones. I do find joy in these, but there is a part of me (undoubtedly, all of us) that also needs those friendships that are present in a tangible sense. As a mum-at-home, sometimes this can be something that is difficult to find. I’m thankful for the way that the government here provides the resources for many of these support groups—ways to meet other women who are walking alongside you. The acquaintance of these women move from the simple one of walking the same road, yet with walls of silent aloneness between one another, to one of open togetherness and support: reaching across that silent gap and taking another human being’s hand in warm comradeship.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 at 7:22 am and is filed under Rachel's Musings, Reflections & Musings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.