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From Natalie Morales
TODAY host, national correspondent, mom
When was the last time you had a really good conversation with your neighbor? During the six years I lived in New York City, I can honestly say I barely knew who lived in our building or even next door. I would say hello to passing strangers in the elevator, but that’s about it. In an environment like New York, we get so caught up in our own lives and we have our own circle of friends, so making new friends is hard. And when it comes to the neighbors, well, sometimes people prefer their privacy.
Becoming a mom changed all that. Like many new parents, we fled the city to a less urban (still not suburban) community with a healthy population of young families. Because we were all experiencing the same life-changing events, it became impossible not to bond with each other. So of the many lessons my sons have taught me, one of the first was to love my neighbors, as the saying goes.
My block in Hoboken, N.J., is truly a place where neighbor helps neighbor … whether it’s watching your child on a play date, picking things up at the grocery store, exercising together, or having each other over for dinner. It helps that we all have a lot in common. Our kids are similar ages who go to the same school, we are all young(ish) professionals, and we love to eat, drink, travel and have a great time. On a nice weekend day, we start out on our stoops (the urban equivalent of a grand outdoor porch) with a cup of coffee and the kids playing outside, and usually end up there at night sharing a bottle of wine. Our close-knit group looks forward to weekly dinner parties or wine tastings, where the conversation flows freely, often centered around the common experiences of our children.
We also enjoy working out together. (Thank goodness with all the eating and drinking we do!) After the birth of my second child, my neighbor friends were the key to helping me get back in shape. We would take classes together and then started running together. Last January, four of us completed a half marathon and now others on the block are training for a half marathon too. So it’s neighbor motivating neighbor. There is a certain competitiveness when one has returned from a 10 mile run to then go out and do the same.
The best thing about our block is that it is like a community from an era gone by – a time when kids could ride their bikes on the sidewalks and never fear being out after dark. It's a place where the ice cream truck makes a visit every night to the delight of our squealing kids. There are the yearly official block parties in addition to the spontaneous parties that seem to spring up every weekend. Sure we all have our friends from work, school, etc., but when I go home it’s like being surrounded by family. Since I don't have my own family nearby, it's amazing that our kids are able to grow up with an extended family of friends.
I'm extremely fortunate to live on such tight-knit block, but one of the great things about parenting in 2009 is that this kind of supportive community isn't limited to physical space. All you have to do is go online to find thousands of moms who are going through the same experiences, worrying over the same issues and working toward the same goals. In creating TODAYMoms.com, we hope we've provided a space for meaningful conversations, friendship and support. Whether you're seeking advice about those first scary months of first-time pregnancy or looking for fellow moms who share your passion for working out or looking for people who share your opinions about a story you saw on TODAY, you'll find them here.
So welcome to the neighborhood! I hope to be see you on the virtual stoop soon.
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