In May 2020, my son was born, and I felt lonely.

I was balancing the typical new-mom tasks: laundry, around-the-clock feedings, trying to remember when I last showered. But underneath all of it, I felt isolated. The pandemic intensified it, yes—but if I’m honest, I think I would have felt it anyway.

Because motherhood, especially in the early years, can be quietly lonely.

Take a moment.

Do you notice that longing?

The longing for beauty and connection in the middle of an ordinary day?

The longing to feel seen and understood?

We’re not alone in that feeling. A study from The Ohio State University found that:

● 66% of parents say the demands of parenthood feel isolating and lonely.● 62% feel burned out by their responsibilities.

● Nearly 4 in 5 say they would value a way to connect with other parents outside of work and home.

That’s not a small problem. That’s nearly all of us.

When the world opened back up, I was invited to join a book club with women from my church …and it changed everything.