We got in touch with Abby, the gorgeous mumma behind the blog According to Abby who tell it like it is! From her country days way back when to the hilarious things her little loves say! xo
What inspired you to create “According to Abby”?
According to Abby was something I created as an outlet for myself. I wanted to put my thoughts down somewhere to get them out of my head, and to hopefully look back one day and see how far I’ve come from those dark days.
You’re a born and raised a country girl from Bendigo who made the move to the big smoke years ago. Are there aspects of country life that you still miss or wish your kids got to experience?
ABSOLUTELY! I get sad when I think back to being 18 and moving to Melbourne sometimes. My time with my parents got cut short in a sense as I moved to fulfil someone else’s dreams. My parents and I are super close and I am fortunate enough to always go back to Bendigo and give the kids a little bit of my upbringing each time. You can’t beat growing up with animals and nature, what it teaches you I believe is what adds a level of empathy and kindness to life and not everyone is subject to those qualities so it’s nice to try and inspire them with that.
Online, you’re very open about challenges that you have or are currently facing. Do you find that the support from your online community is just as reassuring as support from your family and loved ones?
Do you know what, sometimes I find my online community the most supportive. My family are certainly amazing do not get me wrong, and I have the most AMAZING small network of friends who also help keep me afloat but I really did find myself quite surprised by some. I did what women were not doing and the support shown to me privately was heart warming.. what I found disappointing was the support shown to me, publicly! Speaking up is my passion and helping women not be afraid was my message to inspire people feeling trapped, broken and lost but all some could do was pick my own message apart. I’m not any less inspired, I think I have a huge audience to help yet, but I am so thankful for the support I receive online and I always will be.
Your daughters are absolutely gorgeous! Do they have any weird or hilarious habits that they’ve developed?
My kids are quite funny characters. I don’t know if you’d call this a habit as such, but they’ve started yelling at the top of their lungs together much like a chant “boobies, pecky and gina” in public quite places… eg the aeroplane home from Perth. I mean, it’s not the worst things they could say but I definitely look at them in those times and say “my gosh, who’s kids are they..” whilst power walking up the front of the plane pretending I was seated there the whole time.
What’s some of the best advice you’ve ever received? Do you still find it relevant today?
Wow, I’ve received some great advice in this period of growth I’ve gone through the last 2 years. I feel like my head is over flowing with so many things I’d love to share but I think for me, the main thing I’ve really dissolved into my thinking is that I’m not for everybody, and everybody is not for me. Just from thinking that alone, I am changing other parts of me just by believing that I don’t need to show up for everyone. Everyone isn’t going to love my message or understand it. We aren’t all experiencing the same life battles, some will go through them at later times and then maybe connect with me but just because they aren’t now is not something I should be upset about. It’s made me stronger in my thinking, and smarter in how I send out my message. Growing up wanting to be for everyone will only ever disappoint. I’ve learnt that you can have your heart in the right place, but there will always be one that wants to pick or upset you to bring you down and that’s ok. The people you are touching and connecting with are your people. For me, i was happy to help one. To stand here and see that I’ve reached hundreds and thousands? It just goes to show how much my work is impacting and changing lives one at a time and I couldn’t be more proud.
