It Takes A Village

July 25, 2022

To Mama,

It take a village to raise little ones. Before becoming a Mama, when I heard this phrase, for some odd reason, I thought it only pertained to the child. Boy, how I was wrong.

My village; my family, my husband’s family, friends, this amazing community…you are all part of the thoughts, actions, feelings I have about who I am as a Mama and how we have decided to raise our daughter.

Your stories, your guidance, your words and encouragement has molded me into this version of myself that is so thankful I did not walk this path alone & it has made me realize that this saying, “it takes a village” is so much more about the parents then it ever was about the child.

A big part of my village is my parents and we see them a handful of times each week; ever since our little one was days old. I am so lucky to have this bond with both of them and the joy it brings me to share our daughter with them is more than I could ever describe. They know our daughter almost as well as my husband and I do; and in some ways, they may know her better- having raised three children of their own.

Their gentle guidance, encouragement, shoulder to cry on, warm hugs and listening ears have made an unbelievable difference as we close out on the first year of being parents. They let us figure a lot out, guided when we asked and babysat for plenty of date nights so my husband and I could talk and eat a meal while it was hot.

So it goes without saying that there is a lot that I have learned about my parents by becoming a parent too.

• My mother has more patience then I ever gave her credit for, more wisdom and compassion than I realized. By becoming a mama myself, I have learned so much more about everything she gave of herself, without her ever pointing it out or saying it out loud.

• My father has a heart of gold and a special place for his granddaughter. In becoming a parent, I learned on a deeper level why he did the things he did when he raised me, the lessons and guidance he tried to give me, where it came from and his own upbringing. What came off as a “tough parent” when I was younger, was so much more wisdom, experience, fear and love. I see things a lot differently now.

My village also includes this community. A community I started because I wanted to offer support and empower mamas and in turn, you’ve given me so much more than I ever expected. You have shared your joys, your celebrations, your heartaches, loss, struggles and miracles. Your stories and learning about you and your families has been inspiring and has made me realize that we are never alone. Someone in our community has experienced exactly what we are going through or something similar and has always, without fail, offered their advice, suggestion or experience. And I am all the more thankful for you.

It takes a village to raise kind humans because there is no rule book, there is no instruction manual telling you exactly what to do and in the same breath, there is an abundance of information out there which makes the job of raising humans more of a Herculean task than a labor of love. And it is, a true labor of love that when surrounded by the right “villagers” makes it a little easier on the parents of the little.

So to my villagers, I thank you- for embracing this first time mama and sharing with me all of your wisdom, your laughter and your new family adventures. I am so happy to walk this life with you.

With love,

A village Mama