Honest Writing

If there was ever a female equivalent/version of Smoggie, that would be my friend Manda (formerly known as C). She is like him because she is non-judgemental of anything and everything I do, and that means I can tell her anything and everything. Manda is also like me as she is a single mom with 2 boys. I first made her acquaintance when Hans was in SK and her oldest started in JK. As soon as Manda found out that I was a stay-at-home mom, she put me to work. She recruited me to run her lunch program at various schools. When we met, both our marriages were on shaky ground; however, we were focussed on our boys and that’s all that mattered. In the last 3 to 4 years, Manda has been my rock.

Yesterday, on New Year’s Day, I gave her a call. We spoke at length. Then, we decided to get a coffee and catch up in person.

I told her how I ran into G at a grocery store and we ended up having lunch. When G and I worked on the School Council together, he used to be infuriated with the amount of email I would send … especially when there were disputes between the council and some parents. At one point, he wrote an email to me with the following words - “Stop sending email” or something like that! I reminisced about that and jokingly suggested that maybe that’s still the reason he never responded to any email or text messages I sent him?! His response was that I write too much, and he doesn’t know how to respond to that! Fair enough, I guess!

I must confess that I unequivocally communicate more than perhaps all my friends’ communication combined. I write when I am happy. I write when I am sad. I write when I am upset. I write in response to any feeling I am feeling, and the receiver is whoever is orbiting my universe at that point in time.

I believe Manda and I zeroed in on another tragic flaw of mine. She told me that I can be too intense in my writing. I had to agree. When I write here, I am very mindful and I focus on the positive. When I am writing privately, I am honest to a fault. Perhaps that’s how I lost a few friendships. No regrets!

It is wonderful to be eventually surrounded by people who *see* me and who are not afraid to stick around. I am grateful.

Happy 2026 everyone. Live and let live.