Dance has brought me more than just an activity for my kid

I hear the same thing over and over from adult friends of mine...it's so hard to make friends.  I really think it's a combination of a lot of things.  We run busy lives so we have limited free time, with limited free time we don't get to spend a lot of time with adults one on one and lets face it, it takes time and energy to build an acquaintance into a friend.  We aren't teenagers anymore where friendship is our number one thing in life, we have spouses and jobs and kids and they get the bulk of our energy and free time is usually allotted to them.  So making adult friends when you are new is about as easy as learning gymnastics at 40.

But it's so important.  It's so important to have people in your life outside of your family and spouse that you enjoy spending time with.  People to vent with, laugh with, try things with, just be you not you the wife or you the mother.  We rarely walk away from a day/night with a friend we enjoy and regret it.  Instead we usually walk away feeling a little lighter and saying we need to do this more.

I feel lucky that I have incredible, supportive, insightful friends who I met as adults, I'm just sad that they are provinces away so they are there for me and fulfill me for a good laugh or vent but just over the phone.

Lately through my daughters ballet class I have connected with 6 wonderful moms (and a dad) and we have gotten quite close.  Through them I also connected with another group of women who funnily enough do the same job as my ex (it's so strange to be back in that lifestyle again.)  Recently we hit up a girls night out and ended it off with lots of wings and wine at a restaurant and I never get a kid free night so this was incredible for me.  I've had a few play dates with wonderful moms who do the same job as me, and tonight for the closing of our ballet we held a big party for our little group where we had a lot of wine again and a ton of laughs.

This I am discovering is very important for my mental health.  To have women around me who are strong, smart, full of laughter, and no drama.  It's great that our kids all go to school together, that we live close, that we do the same things.  They are good old fashioned Newfoundland women where after you've been in their house once you are welcome to rummage through the fridge, grab yourself a drink, and make yourself at home.  I'm glad that dance brought me the chance to meet adult friends and that I am finally feeling like I have some sort of support group here.