- Support
- Respect
- Friendship
These are the reasons I log into the cloth diaper community every day. When I tried cloth diapers on my son six years ago, I quickly discovered a small, enthusiastic community eager to help, chat, advise, and befriend me.
I’m interested in people who swim in the deep end. I want to have conversations about real things with people who have experienced real things. I’m tired of talking about movies and gossiping about friends. Life is crunchy and complicated and all the more delicious. ~ Amy Poehler
I believe the internet can be a real place, filled with genuine people and authentic relationships. I’ve found this over the past six years, often beginning with a connection through cloth diapers. I count as my friends many individuals who parent, eat, birth, and socialize differently than I do. I’m enriched by them, even if we don’t always agree. I respect their passions and like them all the more because they want to swim in the deep end too.
Sometimes we step on each other’s toes. The internet challenges us to not make assumptions when we can’t hear tone or see facial expressions. Sometimes our passions get the best of us. We “agree to disagree,” but we don’t really mean it. Our friendships endure despite these hiccups because we value the same things: Support. Respect. Friendship.
The cloth community has grown exponentially over the years and some of the bloggers I started out with have emerged as experts. New voices join the scene every day. Support groups crop up online and in person. I think “the more the merrier!,” but increasingly find “us vs them.” I hear stories of bullying, see people mocking each other, and wonder if there’s a safe group for newcomers. And we’re fighting over diapers, over laundry methods, over who knows best. And I want my community back.
So, today I’m asking the cloth diapering community to set aside our differences. Today, we extend an olive branch. Today we only share positive affirmations. Today we are swimming in the deep end. Cloth Community Day. #clothcommunity
For more details about #clothcommunity, day visit the press release. To participate, you can post a selfie with a positive affirmation any time today (or multiple times). Be sure to use the hashtag #clothcommunity. You can also come join me and other participants at our #clothcommunty Facebook Event.
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