Comments on: Love

By: Mali

Mali — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:17:57 +0000

OK, I’m visiting from your 2011 post. Two years ago I wasn’t reading your blog, so I’m very glad to see this. I have several very dear friends I’ve met on the internet, and then in real life, and many more dear friends I’ve met on the internet but not yet met in real life. Unfortunately, they live in the US and UK and Canada – the other side of the world. But I’m confident I’ll meet them – and hope the party will be as fun as your one looks! The one thing I know is that internet friendships are real – and who we are on the internet is (usually) exactly who we are in real life.

By: Battynurse

Battynurse — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:08:56 +0000

For years I’ve loved reading books about womens friendships. I have also longed for friends like that. Where we get together every month or so for some sort of girl party and are just together. Whether we keep in touch much the rest of the month or not. Almost makes me want to move to the East Coast so I can come to the TOOTPU parties. I have met both on line and in person though so many wonderful women since I started blogging. I’m thankful for the friends I have met and even though we may not all get together monthly for potlucks it’s still always great to “chat” back and forth and an even bigger special treat when we do get to meet in person.

By: jodifur

jodifur — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:09:09 +0000

You and I went to camp together in 7th grand and reconnected at Blogher. That is one of my favorites!

By: jenn

jenn — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:41:35 +0000

I have made so many friends in the past few years online, exchanging gifts & phone calls with several. But just last month I packed up my 7 month old daaughter for her first plane rides to meet my closest friend who was met online. We clicked 3 years ago on a ttc message board & were there for each other through the long roads to babies. At one point we both just stopped in awe that these 2 women who met online because of IF & lived 2000 miles apart were in the same room watching our babies play together. It was amoment I doubt I could have shared with anyone else in quite the same way & I am so grateful to the internet for providing the opportunity to connect!

By: MsPrufrock

MsPrufrock — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:02:25 +0000

I have been gone waaaaaaay too long – Cali is up North now? Say what? Oh, to know what’s going on again…

I am guilty of referring to non-internet based friends as “real life” friends, which is naughty of me I know. You’re right – internet relationships are just as real as those formed in everyday life. I will try and change my terminology to “everyday life” instead of “real life”.

Also, one day we will meet, so watch out. No, really. No, REALLY.

By: Katie

Katie — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:44:42 +0000

Oh how I wish I could have made it But I sure will make it for the next get together. I pinky promise

By: Paz

Paz — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:36:53 +0000

Mel, thanks for wrangling me an invite to the TOOTPU, my only complaint is that I did not get to sit down and speak to every person. I left with such regrets TOOTPers! Maybe next time – if I am invited for a next time? (please) – we can plan something structured so we can all connect in person like we do online? (Mel, I have some ideas)

And plus the few I met at TOOTPU, I have met two GREAT women through the internet: you, Mel and now Cali. Lucky me.

By: Dora

Dora — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:04:06 +0000

Of course the obvious online connection in my life is the woman who donated the embryos that resulted in my beautiful 16 day old (as of today) daughter. We didn’t meet face to face during the donation process. The 2 times I traveled to her part of the world for my embryo transfers, she was out of town. We finally met face to face when I was very pregnant, when she surprised me by flying in for my baby shower. Seriously AWESOME!

I’ve been lucky enough to meet a lot of wonderful people through the internet. Too many terrific people to list, but they include a dear friend in Europe who I “met” through a IVF message board before I went on vacation in Europe prior to starting to cycle. When I arrived in Europe, I called her, and we talked each other’s ears off. There was no question that I would take a train to Eindhoven to meet her f2f, and really, you have to have a very good reason to go to Eindhoven. There’s Sara from of course you’ll get pregnant!, who emailed me after reading on LFCA that I was alone in her city for my FET.

Once I meet internet friends f2f, I pretty much forget that we met through the net. When Mo from Life and Love in the Petri Dish visited me and my baby in the hospital, I didn’t think of it as my internet friend visiting us in the hospital. It was just my friend Mo. As it should be.

My mother is amazed and somewhat confused by the friendships and the lovely gifts from net friends. She asked if people were now connecting this way instead of the way they used to. I explained that it’s not instead of, it’s in addition to.

(BTW, this took a looooooong time to type with a baby who wants my boob ALL THE TIME!)

By: Half of a Duo, Raising a Duo

Half of a Duo, Raising a Duo — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:24:01 +0000

Mel,

Though we have never met, I consider you a friend.

Why?

You got me rolling on my writing and my blog… just from reading Stirrup Queens!

You and I have mutual friends in the land of IF (Kym of I’m a Smart One, for one).

You are slammin’ the door funny.

I have met a LOT of people IRL that I first was acquainted with online. I met my surrogate online and many women who wanted to place their children with us for adoption that I still am in touch with and care about… one child passed, the rest decided to keep their child.

I am grateful for Stirrup Queens and also for the many friends I have made online that are now IRL friends.

I hope one day we will meet!

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:10:45 +0000

I have been blessed to be part of several relationships that have started online. One is my marriage. My husband and I met online through Yah.oo personals in May, 2004 and married in November, 2004. Many people have snickered behind our backs and to our faces, made cutting comments about how we wouldn’t make it (we almost didn’t, but that’s not because we met online), and have said we were crazy for meeting the way we did. But…here we are five years later going stronger than ever.
The other relationships are with women I consider to be some of my best friends. Both I have never met in person…one lives in Pennsylvania and the other lives in Wisconsin. We met on a message board while we were all TTC. One friend has two beautiful sons, and the other is now expecting twins via surrogate. They have been there for me through thick and thin, good and bad, night and day. I know that no matter what happens, no matter if we never meet…we will always be there for each other. I believe sometimes friendships forged through common struggle that can be the strongest. Distance or meeting face to face sometimes doesn’t even factor into it.
And, I’ve been blessed to be a part of the ALI community and have “met” some wonderful women through these blogs. God Bless the internet, even if it does sometimes distract me from what I need to be doing (like laundry…now)!