Working Wives & Bachelorettes: It Takes a Village

We've all heard the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, it actually takes a whole lot more than a village to raise a child, raise awareness, raise self-esteem or do just about anything.

We live in a world full of "communities." Facebook is a community. Our churches are commuities. Our neighborhoods, co-workers, friends, friends of friends are our communities.

Back in our childhood days, we were taken care of by our parents, coaches, friends' parents. We ate dinner wherever. Slept wherever. And never worried. Someone would take care of us. Someone always took care of us.

As we enter adulthood, somewhere, we lose that. We lose the security of that "community" that cared for us and had our back. We have circles of friends that we are truly blessed to have. But we lose the "I'll look out for you if you look out for me." We get busy with our own lives and the waters get muddy. Too many ingredients fill the batter and we are left with something that looks amazing, but doesn't fill our hunger.

I have a lot of good friends. Friends that I could call at any hour of any day who would talk me off a ledge, bring me a home-cooked meal or laugh me out of a funk. But still, I hunger for more. I have back-up at work if I'm on vacation or sick, but what about in my real world?

I live far away from my hometown. The place I actually still refer to as home. But through communities, such as facebook, I'm still connected. Recently, on one of my daily facebook checks, I saw a posting from Liv With Autism. It regarded a simple idea--to anonymously friend another mom in the group and become their "Secret Sista." Someone who understands where you are, what you are going through and gives you anonymous words of encouragement, wisdom and the occasional Starbucks gift card. I'm not a part of the support group. I'm too far away. But the idea that someone, somewhere could give me validation that not even most of my closest of friends could (though they try, bless them all). I was in. All in!

Same goes for a friend of mine whose husband is fighting renal cancer. She's made her own community of support. She's set up the Renal Race. Gotten sponsers. Created a website and facebook following. All to honor her family's fight, but also support her mission. Surrounding herself with loved ones and friends, who in a most desperate time of need, are willing to step up and step in to help.

I don't know where my communities will lead me. I don't know if they will feed me or let me sleep under their roofs. I do know that where I am right now, among all my fellow villagers, we are doing what we can with what we have and we are crying, laughing and smirking through it all.