Well, this is not how I expected to introduce myself to the club as your president! Yet here we are! I had been hoping to meet many of you over the summer and fall at some of our annual events. But it seems 2020 had other designs. I struggled with finding the words to welcome in the new club year admist all the changes in September and have only now started to find them as we begin a new calendar year.
When trying to think of how to navigate the already choppy waters of 2021, I’m drawn to one of my favorite books, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. You may not be familiar with the main character, Arthur Dent, and his travails. However, when I summarize his story, you may see some eerie similarities to life in the recent year. Arthur wakes up to construction workers about to descend on his house. Still in his pajamas, he tries to avert disaster by lying down in his yard in front of the bulldozers. An odd friend of his comes by tells him actually he doesn’t need to worry about his house because Earth is about to be demolished by aliens. He brings Arthur to a bar and they drink copious amounts of alcohol (his friend says it will help with the shock) before being beamed up to an alien ship. Thus begins a ridiculous journey around the stars in a small ship with a limited crew and subpar tea. There is a two headed celebrity politician, pets that turn out to be really important, a depressed robot and an improbability drive. Arthur is forced to navigate through the galaxy and is in turn, terrified, amazed, depressed, relieved and frustrated all the while still in the pajamas that he was wearing the morning he had to leave his old life. Eventually, he finds out that the Earth is being re-manufactured but it’s going to be quite awhile before they get it to be just like the Earth he used to know. He has to come to accept that he just has to meander in space until that time comes. The Earthling Arthur’s head would have probably exploded if his friend hadn’t given him a copy of the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” which has thousands of entries that try to explain the ever changing reality he has found himself in. However, the most important quality of this guide is that “it has the words 'DON'T PANIC' in large, friendly letters on the cover."
“Don’t Panic.” It’s a simple directive that isn’t so simple to achieve these days. It should be emblazoned on our screens before we dive into the internet. It takes quite a bit of energy, emotional regulation and grit to get to the not panicking. We’ve learned new technology and strategies to get what needs to get done for us and our families (with maybe a little panicking – we’re only human!). Let’s face it, having multiples is serious preparation for dealing with constantly changing plans and objectives.
We should be patting ourselves on the back for getting to where we are now. I’m also really proud of how our Board and our members have been able to flex to the changes we’ve made to our usual annual events. The club has tried out games, show and tell, pumpkin carving, tag sale, cookie recipe swaps, and an ugly sweater contest all virtually! And we’ve continued to offer each other support and advice on our member only Facebook page.
On Thursday, January 14th, everyone is invited to come to celebrate the families that welcomed multiples in 2020 at our online New Mom’s Tea. To RSVP on Facebook, please follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/events/800534440673049
We are also able to provide a discount to our members for passes to the virtual Belmont World Family Film Festival coming up over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. (see Facebook page or email me for the code). In February, we will have breakout rooms for our topic based discussion general meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to have in-person events in the late spring but until then we will continue to offer ways to connect with other PoMs each month.
Please, feel free to contact me if you have any questions about events, want to volunteer virtually, or need assistance. I can be contacted at president@mwpom.org . I hope to “see” you at some of the upcoming club virtual events. You can even Zoom with us and have a drink in your pajamas like Arthur Dent!
Sincerely,
Meredith Fitzgerald
President, MetroWest Parents of Multiples