Hard to know where to start as this blog has been on my list
of to do’s for the last three weeks…three weeks that my husband has been away (meaning
only one to go!) leaving me as a single mother of 11 month old twins and a
spunky 3 year old. Three weeks of
unexpected single parenthood as it was in the works for months for my mom to be
here at this time, but health issues for my dad prevented her from being able
to come. To top it off, all three of my
best friends in Vancouver are out of town for the entire month of July and my
sister away for a week of it…so three weeks ago I was thrust into feeling that
my entire support network had just crumbled away at a time when I needed it
most. So, why am I motivated now, of all
times, to write a blog post with two babies literally hanging from my legs and reprieve still a full week away? Because, I feel
passionate about the need to continue documenting my journey toward living in the
Ecovillage so that others who are interested can understand the power that this
place has to draw amazing people together in the process of building what is already an incredible community.
The week before Alex left was when my mom called to tell me
she wasn’t coming for sure. I wasn’t
completely shocked as my dad had been in and out of the hospital for weeks, but
both my mom and I had been in a bit of denial, I think. This meant I had to change my perspective
completely. Alex’s work trip to the
Arctic had been scheduled for months and now, instead of a time to look forward
to and cherish because of time spent with my mom and children, I now had to
embrace the challenge of a lonely month of solo parenting.
My one light was that Viv from the Ecovillage was going to
be away with her family during this time as well, leaving an empty house that
she encouraged us to use freely. The
Saturday that Alex left I packed up everything I needed for a few days away and
shuttled us all to Yarrow. Our afternoon
started off quietly but the day ended with us being invited to a community
barbeque and Gabriel playing his heart out while I chatted with a dozen or so
Ecovillage members who helped me to take my mind off my situation. Morning brought several kids to play and
another mother of several youngsters (Julia) for me to have adult conversation
with…yay! Later that afternoon we were
moving on to Chilliwack to spend the evening and night with my in-laws, but
Gabriel was so against leaving the Ecovillage, it was quite a chore to get
everyone mobilized. I only managed to
get him in the car with the promise of an early morning return.
Now, if I blog in detail about every day we have spent in
the Ecovillage in the last 3 weeks, my blog will be longer than the first one I
posted, and nobody wants that! So let me
hit the highlights (I'm afraid my photos are lacking as I was too busy enjoying myself to remember to take pictures. I'll do better next time!):
- Sitting in a sunny living
room overlooking acres of organic farmland and the beautiful BC mountains
and watching my 3 year old climb apple trees and play for hours outside
with a troupe of new friends. All
this while still looking after my 2 babies AND having a bit of time to
read while they napped AND sharing pleasant conversation with incredible
Ecovillage residents who would occasionally pop in.
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| The view out Viv and Paul's living room window...of course, I took this photo on the only cloudy day I was there! |
- Enjoying several incredible
feasts prepared by someone who wasn’t me (although I really enjoyed
sharing food I cooked as well at the potlucks)! And the camaraderie that comes with
sharing a community supper.
- Just watching Gabe grow
and flourish in a way I have never seen before…so excited by all of the
facets of country life (he got to see a chicken lay and egg!) and the
wonders that come with spending hours at a time out of doors, and not just
climbing a play structure at the local park. Not to mention the connections he made
with so many different children from ages 3 and up.
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| Gabe playing with some of the "neighbouhood" boys |
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| An impromptu round of a game that kept the kids entertained for ages. This turned into tag and many other fun, physical games. |
- Watching Gabe bond to Ann,
the wonderful woman who lives upstairs from Viv who Gabe told me reminds
him of Amma (my mom). High praise,
indeed! What a pleasure to see him
in her garden helping her sprinkle egg shells and glorying in picking
blueberries and raspberries and munching down on fresh, raw zucchini. Ann even gave Gabriel baths and read him
stories while I got the girls in bed, and provided a happy and safe space
for him to play in her beautiful home when he tired of me.
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| Ann and Gabriel talking zucchini |
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| Ann and Gabriel wandering in the garden |
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| Gabriel enjoying the fruits of Ann's labours |
- Having other hands to hold
a baby, sometimes two, while I was able to relax my arms and back and know
my children were safe.
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| Julia with the babies |
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| Julia with the babies and Gabe and Moreeka chatting in the background |
- Just meeting and talking
to so many wonderful people.
Everyone I have spent any time with there I have felt connected to
in some way. A connection
facilitated by their genuine interest in me and my family and their
willingness to share their own stories.
Ultimately, I went from feeling like my world had fallen out
from underneath me to feeling like a new world was opening up around me and I
eagerly await having my own home in the Ecovillage. And I mean this only in the sense of having a
physical abode, as I (and the rest of my family as well) feel I am at home
there already in all other respects.
