Finding the Village

We all know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.”  With “I Miss the Village” blog post currently going viral, it’s made me realize how lonely this whole mom thing can be.  We don’t have a village to help raise our children anymore, nor the support that comes with it. 

I grew up with a “village”.  We lived in this little neighborhood with big trees, big backyards, and big hearts.  As kids we ran from one house to another, seeking adventure and fresh baked cookies.  The moms would call each other and say “I’ve got her” and that’s all that needed to be said.  There were cookouts and pool parties, sleepovers and field trips.  It was a community of families, loving and supporting each other through the good and the bad.  If I skinned my knee and needed someone to kiss it and make it better, I had more than one mom I could run to.  I have such precious memories of my childhood because of that community, and I pray for the same for Hudson.

However, I think that will be hard to find.  The world has changed a lot since I was a child.  As Bunmi wrote in her post: “I miss that village of mothers that I’ve never had. The one we traded for homes that, despite being a stone’s throw, feel miles apart from each other. The one we traded for locked front doors, blinking devices and afternoons alone on the floor playing one-on-one with our little ones.” 

But my hope is not lost.  I may not have the village as it used to be, but I’m working on finding the new meaning of it.  My mom friends may not be living a couple houses down, but I can call/text any time I need.  Whether it’s to vent, plan a play date, or in an emergency I know I can count on them.  They are a part of my village.  My friends that are not yet mothers are also a very important part of my village.  With offers to watch Huddy so hubbs and I can go out, or taking him for a walk around the restaurant so I can eat my food in peace, or just a sweet text on a rough day- they get it.  My social media moms- we may not have met in person, but we support and pray for each other on a daily basis.  Even strangers I meet in my day-to-day life.  For example: yesterday at the post office, Hudson was having a full blown temper tantrum.  The lady next to me finished my packages and carried them to the front for me so I could focus on calming him down.  I don’t even know her name, but she’s a part of my village too. 

So although it may not be traditional, I’m blessed by my modern day village.  I couldn’t do this without them.