I had wanted to write this piece for quite some time and one overcast cool morning in October 2012, I decided it just had to get done. It was no longer a matter of a nice to do but a must do.
Just over one year and a half ago, my spouse and I made the decision not to renovate our northwest Mississauga home and instead move to a newer shinier home just a bit further north in Milton. Unsurprisingly, this decision inspired comedic comparisons of the "Love It or List It" reality TV show from friends.
We'd done our research. Milton was an up and coming town (2011 census confirmed once again it's Canada's fastest growing community) and its word of mouth reputation was that it was family-oriented with a charming small-town feel. Of course, let's not forget the bottom line...the real estate was significantly more affordable when we compared Milton against Mississauga and Oakville. In truth, Milton had originally been our third choice but we quickly had a change of heart and saw the merits that so many others were seeing.
So off we went about the logistics...French immersion school - check. Commute to work - check. My spouse was already on the Milton GO line and it was just one stop further than the Lisgar stop (Mississauga). As for me, my job as a disability case manager was home office based so commuting was not a factor.
In late August 2011, we excitedly moved in our belongings and set about making our house a home. We enjoyed exploring our pretty little neighbourhood and checking out local attractions. And unceremoniously, here comes the but. I was finding it difficult to meet new people and was plagued by feelings of loneliness. Muttering "Where is the Milton welcoming committee?" to my ginger root painted walls, I would wallow in isolation. On a brighter note, though, throughout all of this, it was a soothing comforting that my daughters were busy making friends at school and adjusting well.
I debated whether to accept that this was just the way things were in Milton now and perhaps the small-town feel was a thing of the past. Then one cold March 2012 evening, while waiting for a table at Boston Pizza, I saw it. A stack of momstown business cards and a teasing notice of a discount for momstown Milton members. I could argue that it was the bargain hunter in me that drove me to check out the momstown.ca site, however, I know myself better than that. It was my need to connect with other moms and belong.
Far too impatient to wait until I got home, eagerly I typed in the momstown.ca address on my iPhone browser as we waited for our drinks at the restaurant. The About Us section on the site resonated a very loud chord with my socially disconnected soul. It talked about a different time in our society when everyone knew each other and brought over casseroles to help out a new mom. Moreover, it went on to explain, the need for a supportive and caring community reaching out to help moms connect with each other and their little ones. Sam Kassam-Macfie, the owner of momstown Milton shared her story as well. As a newcomer to Milton with a newborn baby, she attended the December 2009 Open House Christmas party and was, in her words, hooked! Soon, she had a circle of caring mamas to socialize mama-baby style. Momstown was such an inspiration that she decided to buy the Milton chapter.
Feeling inspired myself, I enthusiastically viewed the sample calendar and it was jam packed with events. My girls watched me with interest as I explained to them that mommy wanted to meet new people in Milton and how much fun it would be to attend mom/kid events.
After typing off an email to momstown Milton, I quickly received a warm and friendly response from one of its ambassadors. Given that I have one child over the age of 6, I was advised that momstown is geared for mothers with children aged 0-6 years, however, I was assured that Sam takes her members needs very seriously and there were a plethora of mom's night out (MNO) events such as dessert night, supper club, movie nights, you name it. I was encouraged to check out the site and was given a free 6-week trial membership to do so.
I decided to sign up for a family supper night during March Break 2012. And guess what? I chickened out. I withdrew my sign up. I didn't even have a good reason for doing it. Just the "cold feet" excuse. I got scared.
A couple of months went by and in early June 2012, I decided to reach out to momstown Milton again after my free trial membership had expired. I think at that point I was tired of the self-imposed isolation and knew I had to break out. Sure enough, I was received yet again with a warm and compassionate reply encouraging me to attend an event and see what the community was all about.
So I signed up for a MNO supper night. On the day of the event, I got a personal message from one of the momstown Milton members telling me that I was the only person still on the attendee list. Her message indicated that she'd love to meet up with me and provided her cell number. I called her back and was just in awe of her friendliness and willingness to reach out and welcome someone new. To me, it spoke volumes about the quality and substance of the momstown community. We arranged to meet later that evening. We had a great time swapping kid stories and she happily relayed her positive momstown Milton experiences. I was so impressed by the kindness shown to me that I decided to join and paid my membership dues for momstown Milton the next morning.
This was only the beginning. The next event that I signed up for was a MNO dessert night at Portabellos. True to form, the momstown Milton mamas were friendly, engaging and just plain fun to be around! I had some good laughs that night and by hearing the stories of the mamas with babies, I was able to walk down memory lane and remember when I was constantly chasing after an active baby.
momstown Milton has opened so many doors for me in Milton in such a short period of time. From an ultimate girls night out to see sexy Magic Mike to a summer afternoon mom-kids meet at Yogurtys, there are just so many ways to interact in a meaningful way with this community.
More than discounts at local establishments (although, who doesn`t love that?) and social events, momstown Milton really cares about Milton as a whole and about giving back. We attended a wine and cheese United Way Milton fundraiser at Casa Americo in August 2012 as a group. Not only was the event fun and a fantastic way to support a great cause; it was a phenomenal opportunity to meet the many outstanding members of Milton's community whose passion for this town is positively endearing. I made amazing connections and gained a sense of belonging.
I could go on and on as I am overcome with gratitude to momstown Milton for welcoming me with open arms. For reaching out to a Milton newcomer and making me feel like a part of something. For finally to be able to proudly call Milton my home, I know that thank you is not enough. But from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Written by Liz Marques Kogan, a momstown Milton member and mother of 2 girls.
You can check out her blog at orchidaforever.blogspot.ca.
