O Snap! It's been a week since I've blogged. I have no real excuse other than I was sick last week with a stupid head cold. That, and I'm lazy! I (along with a few thousand women and probably a handful of men creepers) received a stunning announcement. The mommy site that I've frequented for the last few years is closing. WHAT!? To say that I was upset was an understatement. I almost feel I was more upset than a normal person should have been..but that's me - abnormal. So, in honor of CincyMLM closing.. a Top Ten list of things I will miss the most about the site. This week I'm going to do a countdown...
10. The random trainwrecks! I know I shouldn't be happy when women are arguing and bickering so passionate about their opinions but it's entertaining. And, while I'm supposed to be working the "fights" make the day go by just a little bit faster.
09. The recipes. The Demon and I do not have a wide array of meal choices. I've always enjoyed lurking in the food threads trying to come up with ideas on what we could try.
08. The perspective of other parents. Before I ever joined Cincymoms I had no experience at all with special needs children. After spending just a few days on the site, I had gained a new found respect for other parents and what they go through on a day to day basis. I will never look at a child throwing a hellacious temper tantrum with judgement again. I will never again think "UGH, why can't that mom control that brat!". Well, I may think it - but the thought will quickly disappear when I think back on my special needs mommas.
07. There was always an ear available. Going through what I've gone through over the past 3 years with the Demon and his illness there were many times when I was down and just needed to vent. At almost any hour of the day or night someone would have been around to listen.
06. Chatting! Many people probably don't know that I was a part of an online chat forum/room for a couple years. I loved chatting and eventually meeting so many different people. Like I mentioned above, it really is a good way to pass the time while you're supposed to be working.
05. The prizes!! Where do I even begin with the prizes!? Over the years I've won a couple $50 giftcards, countless movie passes, museum tickets, gift cards for restaurants, Kings Island tickets and the grand daddy of prizes, a $200 gift certificate for a shopping center! Not only did I meet new friends.. but walked away with many goodies.
04. Couponing. Now, I'm going to be honest here... I never took full advantage of what the "Queens" over there had to teach. I know I don't have the patience to sit and clip loads of coupons and then match them up with weekly sales. I mean, hell, I'd rather waste my life away chatting or on facebook! BUT, I have learned a little bit, and with that I have been able to somewhat cut my grocery bill and even find online codes for certain deals!
03. Advice. Again, no matter the time of day, if I had a problem I could go ask on the site and within minutes people would have advice for me. The medical advice I've received, alone, is enough for me to be eternally grateful. On top of that, I've learned a lot about supplemental medical coverage we qualified for the Demon. I was helped through my mom LOSING her prescription coverage! Most recently I had a lot of questions about local high schools and the options available to the Demon. So much information was given to me and I was unaware of it all.
02. Support. Never ending support. I've only posted half of what I've gone through over the last few years on this blog. The daily support and caring that I received from most of the women on that site is indescribable. People that I've never met offering me groceries, to pay for treatment for the Demon, to come care for my Momma/Grannie/Pets while we were in the hospital, to just sitting with me for hours on end during his first surgery. I could go ON and on and it wouldn't come close to explain the support. Support from strangers is an amazing thing to experience. It's one of the things I will miss the most from the site. It makes me very sad that other mom's will not have the same experience with the site closing.
01. Friends. There aren't words to properly describe the friendships I've made on the site that have carried over into my real life. Friends that drop everything on a dime to be by my side. Friends that offer up their husbands to help me fix my house. Friends that sit and text with me at 1am as I'm driving back to the hospital for what will be another extended stay. Friends that rush to be my side, leaving work, to sit with me at the hospital while I'm freaking out during an emergency. Friends that I consider family. Still, friends that I've never met that would offer to bring me meals during our hospital stay. Without this site I would never, EVER know the meaning of a real friend.
I'm a better person because of the women on this site.
<3
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