Loving & Losing

"'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" -Alfred Lord Tennyson

I am no stranger to loving and losing. It's true that people can come into your life to enrich it, help you make sense of it, and make it feel worth living. When you encounter these true gems of people, your natural instinct is to hold on tight, because as humans we can be selfish and simply want to make ourselves feel good. The truth is, it should be us that lives for others, they should not live to serve us. That's a hard concept to remember, though.

In 2006 I left my hometown of Montreal for the city of Toronto, a mere 6 hour drive away. I left behind everything I had known, including a lifetime of friends and memories and my parents. As it turns out, Toronto was really good for me, and it eventually led to meeting the love of my life and our wedding in 2010. One week after my wedding, I left my new and beloved city, my single girl life, and my extended family and friends. The friends I made in Toronto are ones I hold near and dear to my heart, people whom I will love forever and who changed my life for the better. It's rare to make friends like that as an adult, I count myself very lucky.

Now we live in Seattle, 6 years for my husband and going on 5 for me. It was pretty lonely at first, but we made due. Once we had a baby, everything changed. I was introduced to a whole new world of mommies and activities, zoo dates, play dates, park dates, baby classes, baby concerts, playgrounds, library story times, it was amazing. I truly didn't think it would ever happen, but I fell in love with yet more wonderful people and their babies. How lucky can one girl get? I have had the pleasure of becoming friends with some of the funniest, fun, smartest, most honest, trustworthy women here.

I'm sad to say that I've had my Seattle heart broken once before, when one of these incredible women moved away. Our babies were born 9 days apart, we had similar birth stories, lived a mere 4 blocks away from each other, and got along famously. But we still talk almost every day, and still laugh and support each other as friends and mamas. Now it's about to happen again and I'm really bracing myself.

Being so far from family is hard, and when we found "The Other Wilsons" as we so lovingly called each other, it was like a funny karmic gift! However, it's now time for them to move on as well and we will miss them dearly. We wish you all the best and good luck on your new life in Nashville! Until we meet again.