I was recently featured in the local newspaper for Women Can International Inc to promote our free membership month. Here is the article that went to print.
What pursued has shocked and amazed me. I have received over 45 telephone calls from women in the community wanting to join the Association for a variety of reasons but for the majority it was because they are lonley and isolated, finding it difficult to make new friends.
One woman shared her story about how she had children now, but had grown up with a circle of friends that had been best friends for the past 20 years. Unfortunately, her girlfriends had started to use the drug ICE and she was concerned about the safety of her children and consequently, has had to leave those friendships. This story in particular broke my heart because I could feel the loss she was experiencing in losing her closest friends to such an evil drug.
There were others who had children under school age that had isolated them; those whose husbands were working away from home; those who had injuries that had takent hem out of their usual routines, causing them to be isolated and needy; and those who were experiencing a change in their life, be it moving to a new location or their children growing up and moving on. The common thread was that they felt lonley and wanted to reach out to other women and form partnerships.
My question is, what are we doing as a society that people should be in our suburbs suffering like this? It is an indictment upon us that we have not cared enough to reach out to our neighbours and their neighbours.
I recently moved to Kinross and this area is full of children, who don't seem to have the problem of meeting and making new friends quite as badly as adults do. Because of my children I have interacted with most of my neighbours and continue daily to meet new people in my area. Perhaps we could learn something from their naivety, as they do not assume that everyone they meet is going to rape, murder or steal from them. What has happened that we have communities so fraught with distrust?
I am hoping to make a positive difference through Women Can International Inc. I just want to challenge you to take 5 minutes out of your day to call a friend you haven't heard from in a while to make sure that they are not feeling lonely and isolated. It may be the best five minutes that you have ever spent. With so many contemplating suicide, your care may be the difference between life and death. Care costs little to give but is priceless for the receiver.
Posts
