The Community Within

I recently returned from a vacation in Mexico where I met up with my mom and stepfather, both of my siblings and their entire families.  What I loved about that trip and miss just as much as I miss the warm sun, was being in such close proximity to my clan for an entire week.  Each family had their own condo so that we could close doors and regroup when needed but the units were one next to the other. 

I loved sharing morning coffee and conversation with my mom while my nieces and nephews ran around readying themselves for a day at the pool.  I loved the family dinners that lingered into a cocktail on the terrace while enjoying relaxed face-to-face adult conversation.  I loved being able to wrap up each day with hugs from whatever family members were present before I took my little one to bed for the night.  I loved being surrounded by that sense of community.

Having grown up in small towns, a strong sense of community played a major role in my childhood.  In small towns you have instant community whether you want it or not.  Community is not necessarily something you have to work to cultivate.  Here in the city, this is not the case.  In fact, the anonymity possible in the city can be a welcome change  from the sometimes suffocating limits and expectations of small town life. 

Now that I am raising a child of my own, I find myself wanting and needing to be part of a community.  I want to know my neighbors, run into friends and acquaintances at the store, buy Girl Scout cookies from my doctor’s daughter and have my best friend’s nephew mow our lawn.  I want to be a part of something and I want my daughter to feel the sense of contribution, security and accountability that comes with community. 

Whether or not to stay in a big city like Seattle was something that my husband and I debated a lot after having our daughter.  I ached to be back in the arms of a smaller town where friends and family are always five minutes away and neighborly love is at your doorstep.  I wasn’t sure that that sense of community was possible here in Seattle.  Seattle is not only a big city but famous for it’s flat and, some would say, frigid hospitality.

Alas, we are still here and I have discovered some incredible avenues for finding small town community in the big city.  Seattle has some amazing resources for new mothers and families to connect.  As a brand new mother I attended a drop-in newborn group called, First Weeks that saved my sanity.  I made some wonderful friends from that group who I still see on a regular basis.  There’s nothing like the shared experience of sleep deprivation, baby poop and breastfeeding to bond strangers.  PEPS is another very popular organization that successfully creates community for new parents. 

What has been the most community building for our family is the co-op preschool that we joined almost two years ago.  Our co-op embraces and practices so many of the small town values I learned as a child.  Everyone is invested in the school and has an assigned job to help keep it running smoothly.  We see each other on a regular basis, we live fairly close to each other and we provide each other with a trusted network of friendship and support.   

In an age where we find ourselves more and more burrowed into our computers, smart phones and digital social networking, I am relieved and excited that one can still find amazing communities in which to participate.  We can still organize a meal train for new parents, mow the elderly neighbor’s lawn for him, collaborate in building something for the preschool auction and most importantly feel known by and know the people around us.  While I still consider moving back to small town Midwestern life, I feel very lucky to have found some amazing families and resources for community here in Shoreline and Seattle.

Note on Co-Operative Preschools: 

There are many co-operative preschools in both Shoreline and Seattle.  If you are interested in joining one I suggest you search the Patch directory or join a parents group online such as Shoreline_Parents@yahoogroups.com to find one that might work for you.