jessamyn, journey and cedar lounging on a couch at the cafe, canon 50D

{The winner of the camera strap will be announced tomorrow. Em's daughter Ivy is creatively choosing the winner and needed more time. Thank you for your patience, to all of you who entered!}

Connections made in the blog world often take my breath away. I think because we share such vulnerable parts of ourselves that when you meet in person for the first time, it can often feel as though you've been together, sitting on a couch with tea over and over again.

When Jessamyn reached out to me because her family would be in the area on vacation, I was surprised at how eager I was to meet up with her. Surprised because I have been a wee bit of a hermit and shy to meet new people at this stage of my life. I am trying to navigate how to balance relationships and caring for a new baby and worry that I won't be able to give to a dear one the way I would like. I am already fumbling with trying to stay close and connected to my present tribe of love bugs.

But reading Jessamyn's blog, we have such a very similar heart. We are both Bohemian Girlies to the core and she is the sister of Jamie, who just recently adopted. Jamie and I have shared our fertility/adoption journey's very soulfully and did long before our adoptions took place. So, through my sweet connection with Jaime, I felt I just had to meet this whimsical soul.

You know, blogging connections cannot be as easy as it appears. When I began blogging way back when and saw all these tribes connecting, I had this illusion that it was just a matter of them reading one another's blogs and feeling intimate, one person reaches out and bam...they're friends. But the Universe works differently. The connections I personally have made through blogging have been felt by both of us, at just the right time, without anything feeling forced. Its been this magnetic movement of hearts coming together where we both feel it equally, we both nurture it and there is a natural ease with it all.

There have been times when I have reached out to someone and I could tell that person wasn't in a place to connect on the same level. And there have been times when people have reached out to me and I too wasn't in that same place to connect. To me, this is not at all personal but it is just a confirmation that when a relationship is meant to be nurtured at a particular time, it feels harmonious and flows and the connection is shared equally.

I think it is natural for all of us when we begin blogging to discover other kindred spirits and think..."oh I want to be her friend...oh and I want to be her friend too and hers and hers...she's so awesome!" What I have learned in the 4 years of this blogging medium is that the relationships come when I am not trying so hard. When I am focusing on my dreams, my heart, my healing, my art and it is always then that a wee birdy sings a melody in my ear about a possible new friendship. Jessamyn's email was like that for me. A sweet melody at just the right time. Just when I announced to the Universe that I am ready to be a bit more social and attract relationships that will move and bend and flow with my new life as a mother and writer and artist...she appears.

All this to say that if any of you have tried to connect with someone and it wasn't felt in return, please know that it isn't personal and it most always is that they have huge stuff going on in their life and cannot give the way they desire to or the way you need. I truly believe if you are nurturing yourself, dating yourself, loving yourself that connections will come your way and if it is right, it will feel magical and effortless and make sense for what you need in your life in that moment.

I have more to share/spill on this tender topic soon, but until then...go spend some time over in Jessamyn's space. You will find that she is a beautiful, earthy, soft, kind, thoughtful, poetic, creative, nurturing, open soul of a woman.

It was so absolutely fun to hang with her at the cafe and watch how adorable her daughter Journey was with Cedar. She showed such admiration for him the second their eyes locked. She wanted to hug him, kiss him, hold his hand, feed him and cuddle on the couch. SO cute. And Cedar let her do WHATEVER she wanted. That's my boy. ; )

Here is a photo that Jessamym took of Journey feeding Cedar while I am holding him...

photo by jessamyn turgesen