lesson twenty two | there's someone like you somewhere

"Our similarities bring us to a common ground; our differences allow us to be fascinated by each other.” – Tom Robbins

I am so blessed to have friends. From all over. Different from each other, and to me. From different worlds, different backgrounds, different cultures. Different ages, at different stages, our lives going in different places.

With each friend, they have something super special. But there's no-one I know who has walked a life similar to me.

Until recently.

Tuesday mornings for the past two years, we've become part of the Leisure & Aquatic Centre community. Every week as Madison improves his swimming skills, I become more familiar with the other families that frequent the centre. As time passes the occasional chats make us so more familiar with each other. And although we know all the kids' names, I think we're all a little guilty of forgetting each other's.

But there's this one girl's name I always remember. And our first chat about our boys with long hair, then another (on an entirely different topic), we've quickly discovered that we have quite a lot in common.

There's the simple statistics like: we're the same age, our husbands are the same age (there is a gap, shall we say?), we have boys, and we have two step kids (also the same age).

Then there's the lifestyle stuff: both vegetarian, both have travelled lots, both have married later, both have studied later, and lived in many different places. Our husbands' names are even the same.

Finally, we're both pretty good at talking. Which is why at 2:30pm today we were still sitting in the playground while the boys played happily.

Of course, we have many, many differences, but it's so great to talk with someone who knows what its like to have relationships with both the adult children and the young ones, talk vegetarian dinners and where we should send our boys to school.

But the thing I learnt today was that although we totally love our big extended families and our busy lives, we find ourselves a little bored.

Not bored like there's nothing to do. There's always something to do.

But bored like, If I Could Pay Someone To Clean My House I Would, bored.

Let's face it, with the Most Important Job In The World comes lots of mindless repetitive tasks. Perhaps that's why I can blog every day. While hanging out washing or doing the dishes, there's a whole bunch of time in which I have to think about stuff.

And it's cleaning up that mess, the toys or pantry staples four times a day that makes me think: "I am an intelligent woman. Why am I doing this?"

Now, I know if you're in the same boat as me, you are nodding your head in passionate agreement.

And realising that there's someone like you right here.