They Call Me...

In case you're coming across this blog for the first time and have NO idea what Second Life is... it's a computer game that I play. I hate calling it a game. To some people, it may just be a game but it's not to me. Second Life is a virtual world. It's kind of hard to explain, but the short version is it's like a big huge chat room, well a program with a bunch of chat rooms on different servers or "sims" where you're not just a screen name, you're an avatar and you interact with other people and their avatars and uhhh... OK just wikipedia it. Second Life tends to get a lot more bad press than good because that's the kind of news that gets peoples attention.

For me, Second Life has been a great comfort. It's helped shape me into who I am today. That's a pretty big deal, to be a part of something that is so life changing. I've made friends there when I felt I didn't have any, it's been a creative outlet, it's allowed me to become a stronger person, it's been an emotional support when my real life was too difficult to deal with on my own. Most of all, I've built a family. In the real world, we don't get to choose who we're related to. Our relatives are our relatives whether we like them or not. In Second Life, we may not be family by blood but we are family by our hearts. I have been so blessed to be surrounded by the people that I have been. Some of them we talk every day, some of them we no longer talk at all. But they've all left imprints on my heart. While I've opened my heart up to them, they have also opened theirs up to me. I don't take my relationships lightly and genuinely feel blessed to be a part of their lives. Without them, a broken heart would be unbearable, my work days would be more stressful and my world (both of them) would feel so lonely.

Everything I've just said is a "Moment of Win" on it's own but there's something that I have to mention that is so precious to me. Every time I hear this phrase when I'm logged in I can't help but smile.

My SL children and when they call me "Mommy". I'm not a parent in the real world, but one day I hope to be. In my Second Life though, I am. I'm naturally maternal so of course I gravitated towards the family life and "kid world" of Second Life. I am so lucky that my kids feel the kind of connection with me to honor me with that title. I don't take it for granted and hope to be the best "SL" mother I can be as well as their "RL" friend.