"One of the Moms from my Message Boards..."

You have no idea how often I use that phrase in a day.

Back when I was actively TTCing (Trying to Conceive), I found a group of women online that were in the same stages of their lives. It was this discovery that introduced me to the world of message boards. As I struggled with infertility, considered adoption and, eventually, celebrated my pregnancies, the women on my message boards were a lifeline. They offered support and advice, distraction and laughs, a shoulder to cry on and a virtual glass to clink in celebration.

Now, years later, we share funny stories about our kids, give advise when needed and tear our hair out over something our husbands did.

I've only met one of these women in real life but I feel as if I know all of them as well as the people I see everyday maybe even better.

There are a lot of thoughts about technology and what it has done to our society. I can tell you that one of the biggest benefits has been the ability to reach out and find someone on the other end.

Most of the messageboards I belong to have gone private (so that we can exchange personal information more freely without the fear of "trolls" or "lurkers") but, if you are interested, I suggest you check out ivillage or network54. If you find a board you are interested in joining, read a few posts to get the feel of the place. Then, jump in! Introduce yourself. Respond to some posts. Ask some questions. Have fun getting to know people that you probably never would have "met" if not for the internet.