We Got You
It’s been a weird couple of weeks. Gemma has gently nudged me a couple of times ‘any chance you want to write the newsletter?’ So here we go.
The last two weeks have been particularly stressful in my little world. The helpful husband and kids are great support when I’m feeling low or stressed, but it’s my network of women, my friends who often are the ones who give me the energy, wisdom and sometimes the necessary nudge to pull me out of a funk and see things clearly again. When I’m ready to quit, they’ll gently, or sometimes not so gently encourage me- ‘you’ve got this’, ‘you can do it’. They are my biggest cheerleaders, they tell it how it is when I’ve messed up, they certainly don’t sugar coat things and you wouldn’t want to cross ANY of them in a dark alley at night if you’ve messed with me. They are my lifeline, my confidants, they help recharge me so I can be the best mother, wife, worker etc I can be.
There is actual science behind this, it’s not just my American demonstrative kumbaya tendencies that have me effervescing about my crew. The Beebs (BBC) reported on this last March about the wonders of friendship and how social isolation affects your immune system. How social connection leads to longer and healthier lives and studies that have shown that people with strong friendship connections even help you heal faster.
That’s science folks not touchy feely mumbo jumbo from my emotive kin on the other side of the pond. It goes on to report…
“Conversely, strained friendships are significant predictors of chronic illness. In some cases social disconnection is a greater mortality risk than common culprits like smoking and high cholesterol.”
So, what’s the point of me telling you about my bad week and the science behind friendship? The point is you need to get yourself a crew, lean into them when things get hard. I know I’m incredibly lucky to have a group of women who act as my support system, like a complex eco system of roots that provide stability, support, growth.
“Some people go to priests, others to poetry, I to my friends.”
- Virginia Woolf
Gemma is very much at the core of my crew. We are there for each other, we have seen the ugly, seen the flaws, weaknesses, but also the strengths. She reminds me of who I am or how I should be when I falter. This support we have for one another is at the very heart of why we wanted to start Breaker. Women supporting women, at their best and at their worst. Breaker is about a culture, a community of women who have each other’s backs.
All are welcome, all are celebrated. So ladies, whatever you’re going through, know that you’ve got this, and Breaker’s got you.
