When, as mothers, we’re starved for the kind of empathy and understanding that can only come from other mothers in the thick of it, we often make the mistake of thinking mothers are the only community members worth investing time building connections with.

But empathy and understanding are only two of our many needs worth tending to if thriving is our goal.

There are hundreds of ways to resource ourselves, and thousands of community members who have the potential to add value to our lives and the lives of our kids. Many non-mothers have uniquely valuable perspectives to offer from their differently structured and prioritized lives, as well an abundance of some resources that mothers are especially depleted of.

At the same time, many community members are starved for the richness of family life and kid energy, so the right connections can truly be mutually beneficial. That older neighbor whose kids left the nest years ago might long for play in their lives, even if it’s just a slow walk or a silly game.

In short, we all need community of all kinds, and the more open we are to a wide variety of ways of connecting – and connecting with people of different ages – the more quickly we’re likely to cultivate a life that feels rich, nourishing, and meaningful.

So take a moment to ask yourself…

• Who do you value greatly in your life who isn’t a mom?
  
• What richness do they add, in part at least because they aren’t moms?
  
• Do you find that you’ve become more open to connections of all kinds since better meeting some of your most essential needs through your connections with other mothers who are also in the thick of it (such as your needs for empathy and connection)?

Building a supportive community likely includes people you hadn’t thought of at first, but if we start to think about our community as a mini ecosystem, we begin to see how each different member can uniquely and cooperatively add to the health of the system as a whole.

Warmly,