I love the People in my village

Lately I’ve been thinking about how much I love the people in my village. And also how important it is to step up to be part of that kind of village for others.

One adult can make a difference

My wise friend Brooke Romney shared this quote on her Instagram a while back (with a great story) and I think about it all the time:

She shared about how one adult can make a huge difference in the life of a teenager. The little things can be the big things. Our kindness, love and acceptance can have the power to change the trajectory of the teenagers around us. That’s kind of daunting, right? But it’s true. We have power as adults.

The impact of an extra set of parents

I was reminded of this again just recently when I had the chance to gather with my high school friends for a little reunion. A few of them mentioned how impactful my parents were in their lives. You see, these friends spent so much time at our house. Some came on a few trips with us. And I loved hearing, all these years later, how much of a difference the love of an extra set of parents made in their lives.

The more I mother, the more I realize we as mothers are not islands (thankfully).

Because any mom who’s been in this mothering gig for a while knows they can’t be the whole “village” for their kids.

We can yearn for our kids to have the connections they need, but we can’t create them. That’s when it comes to others.

One example of someone special in my village

Lucy loves me. I know that’s true. She is so kind to conscientiously let me know things she’s grateful for. And sometimes she loves hugs.

But oh how grateful I am that we have a village of people who join me in loving this girl unconditionally.

Sometimes (well, most of the time) the two of us try to concentrate on the good things in life. The things like all the people who love her. And will do anything for her. From teachers to friends to church leaders to some random person at the grocery store who looks out for her not to bump into a display (even if it makes her mad).

Let’s take, for instance, a best friend of mine who has become a best friend of Lucy’s. She has dubbed her as “2nd mom” in her phone and she knows she will do anything for her.

Lu has had a desire to go to the temple lately. Oh she had been talking about going every day for a while, but that pesky homework and life kept getting in the way.

But one day we finagled our schedules in such a way that we made it work. For whatever reason this is how she looked with me at the temple.

Remember she’s the one who asked to go to the temple. Over and over again. But for some reason sometimes your mom just isn’t the right person to be your partner. Is anyone else with me on that or am I the only one?

Let’s check out how she looked when Tonia did the same trip with her a week later:

Yep, sometimes you just need someone in your village to step up and give you some extra love.

How grateful we are for everyone in that village. The willingness to go out of their way to lift her and love her in a way that sometimes her family can’t.

Looking more deliberately for ways I can be part of the village for others. Because it makes such a difference!