Don't Be An Unknown

There is that moment in your life when you realize you don't know someone and someone doesn't know you, even though you should know each other well.  This week someone I grew up with moved away, and I realized today that this person doesn't really know me.  Doesn't know my children.  It made me sad.  It made me sad really for my children, because they are amazing people.  It made me sad because this person knows about me basically through social media, even though they lived in the same city as me.  At first I got angry, and then I reminded myself I cannot fix what is done, I cannot create relationships where there are none.  

I don't want that to happen with anyone else whom I grew up with, or who I would like to be a part of my children's life. I texted the closest person to a sister to me, my husband's sister.  We call each other sister, introduce each other as sister, neither of us had a birth sister so we know the longing for that relationship, and even though we don't see each other often I know she is there.  I texted her and basically said that I wanted to get our families together more often, I want my children to know their aunt and uncle and grow up being friends with their cousins.  We agreed that we need to do that, and we agreed also that our schedules are extremely busy.

I spent a lot of time today analyzing those relationships closest to me, all of which are friends that have become family.  My unbiological sisters.  How, in this fast paced world can we have significant relationships with those?  How can our children have significant friendships with their peers? 

I have coffee with my friends frequently, generally one on one, but sometimes in a group.  That is one way to foster a good relationship.  My oldest child started having and attending sleepovers this year, his birthday is just a few days away, one of his closest buddies (they have been friends since day care) will spend the majority of the weekend with us.  His other close buddy will meet us on his actual birthday for some fun we have planned.  Birthdays are a great way to build those lasting relationships.

As I sit here, blogging on my computer, snapchatting on my phone, and listening to the TV, I long for a tech free me for a bit.  I know that is a rather impractical longing, seeing as technology is only becoming more and more necessary.  I want to see my friends more than I see their facebook likes.  I want to sit down and make eye contact with those I love more than on snapchat.  I want my children to have meaningful childhood relationships that hopefully go on into adulthood.  I am grateful that so many of my girlfriends have stepped in and become "aunts" to my children, even if my friends don't have children my children's age, there is a meaningful relationship there.  My children have had friends that their mom and I were pregnant at the same time and I see those friendships lasting through childhood.  I can't help but hope that these relationships will get more face to face time than facetime.

Do any other moms desire the same type of people interaction and relationships I desire?  Let me know how you foster these relationships!