I’ve been a member of a meetup group called NLN (for short) since November 2009… I had to look that up since I couldn’t even remember. I don’t think I actually went to any meetups until the spring of 2010 after M was born.

This has been a wonderful resource for information but mainly for companionship. When we had Miles we still didn’t know that many people in Omaha and didn’t know anyone with babies or small children.

In the beginning it was great just to have somewhere to go with the baby, and of course over time I grew to like the women in the group and look forward to seeing them. I also discovered some new cool places to go around here, like the beautiful (though bug ridden in summer) Fontanelle Forest in Bellevue, with its huge trees and shady trails.

The organizer of the group is due to have her third baby any day now, so she understandably wanted to step down from the duties of running the group. I volunteered to take her place because this group has been important to me and I would love for it to keep serving that function of bringing together mothers who are interested in things like eco-friendly living, healthy eating, alternative medicine, attachment parenting, and so on.

What I most admired about G as leader (besides her awesome ability to remember names) is her wonderfully welcoming attitude toward everyone in the group. She had a knack for making people feel like they belonged right off the bat that I can only hope to emulate.

It’s kind of amusing, and amazing, that I decided to do this without even thinking twice. There was a time when I was so shy I wouldn’t even consider joining a group of strangers like this, let alone leading one. So I have come a pretty long way in that regard.