Thank you, digital sisterhood!

Sophie Rayment - 9 Dec 15

I’m not one for emotional outpours but I feel compelled to thank you bloody wonderful bunch of social media sisters for making me feel so much more ‘normal’ during the weird/low/tired/challenging times that can come with being a parent.
I’ve been a bit late to the party with some digital platforms – Instagram in particular. Until recently I only ever used it to add pretty, skin smoothing filters to make me look a bit nicer than what taunts me in the mirror, or turn photos of my boys into nostalgic-hued keepers. It’s a private account as there are too many pics of the kids to make me comfortable enough to share with randoms (yes, I’m too nervous in that respect, but certainly mean no offense to folk who share pics of their family publically). Anyway, I decided to start following a few people and, since then, I’ve been blown away and wondered how I’d been missing out on stuff for so long. I never realised the sheer amount of loveliness that can be found. Loveliness in the form of life affirming posts, inspirational people (mums!) doing amazing, creative, brave and brilliant stuff for themselves, their families, their communities and, for some – the world.
Through their blogs, Twitter and Instagram feeds, I have found and felt part of a community of mothers empowering themselves and motivating others to unleash the parenting shackles and join a movement that stands for independence, unity and, frankly, getting shit done. These women don’t apologise for their gutsiness, their will to succeed, to make something of their lives outside of being a mum. And why should they, it’s being a mum that is driving them, that has changed their perception of what’s important in life.
Cos that’s honesty what it feels like; a big, lovely, united show of sisterhood/motherhood – call it what you will, rising up to take the world by storm. Whether it’s by starting and building a business, social enterprise, charity or community initiative – they are getting on with it. I might be sounding a bit OTT, but with the fog finally lifting (you know, the ‘what AM I going to do’ fog), I have never felt so compelled and inspired to take control of my life and stop dicking about with half-arsed ideas of making a living that don’t make it past the post-it note stage.
Thanks to what I’ve seen and learnt from some amazing lady-parents on the world wide web, I now know that I want ‘in’ – I want a piece of this action, to do something meaningful – and if it pays some bills and eventually the odd holiday or two, then yes please. I feel positive for the first time in a long time, and hopeful that next year is the year I get my shit together. I have a seed of an idea and now I’m researching like mad and making some plans to see if it could be a goer. I’m well aware it will be a hard slog and there will be rubbish days, but when self-doubt creeps in, I will turn to my digital sisters for some virtual spirit-lifting. Merry Christmas and here’s to 2016. xxx

Sophie Rayment

I am a freelance copywriter and mum of two little boys, Alex and Louis. I live in Kent and I like telly, tea and shoes.

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