It Takes A Village

I have always disliked the phrase "It takes a village". I'm not exactly sure why. Somehow I think it implies that the subject person is not good enough to take care of their own responsibilities.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a village. Some don't have family. Or their family is not near by. Or their family just isn't interested.

Some don't have friends. They might be new to the area. Some just don't make very deep connections with others. Some are assholes to begin with.

Many people do not have access, or at least easy access, to other resources. They may not be experienced enough to know how to navigate through local support systems. Some don't know how to find and access resources to begin with. Others may not want to follow the rules that are required to receive the help offered.

A lot of people do not have a sense of community. They may not belong to any organizations. Or have deep roots at their work. Many people nowadays do not belong to a church or similar group.

I always thought I didn't have a village. Maybe that's part of why I didn't like the phrase. Perhaps I don't have a village but more like a tribe. I have an incredible group of people who lift me up every single day. Some in my tribe I know very well and others I don't. But somehow we are all interconnected.

We have received tangible things like meals and restaurant gift cards. There have been gifts to help make this time a little easier. A few of you have done chores, cleaned house, and run errands.

I have been given many rides to my multitude of appointments during all this time that I have been unable to drive myself. And the driver has waited for me to complete the appointment and then driven me home. This not only gave me the practical part of transportation but has given me time to connect with who I am with.

There have been many visits to the house or hospital. Wow, what an impact these have had. It gives me the opportunity to vent. Or talk about anything but cancer. But more importantly, it gives me time with people I really really like. We are all usually so busy we don't just go to each other's houses to "visit". But life has slowed drastically down for me yet my tribe makes the time to keep me comforted, supported, and connected to my real life.

My days have been marked with many calls, texts and emails. It feels good to know you are thought of. It feels good to know that people care. And that they are giving you their hottest commodity, their time. I matter.

Finally, I have once again witnessed the healing power of prayer. I truly believe I received a miracle when I had my bone marrow transplant. I am not sure that a person gets more than one...... Yet I know, firmly and deeply, that the multitude of prayers out there are lifting me every minute of every day. I have zero doubt that prayer helps. It may not give a person a cure but can make an incredible impact on the journey.

You probably stopped reading this lengthy post several paragraphs ago. I hope you stuck with me. I want to thank you for being part of my tribe. If you are reading this, you are one of my "people". You are making this difficult part of my life much softer and tolerable than it would be otherwise. I hope you know how much I care about you and value you. I may not be related to you by blood but I am related to you by choice.

So, my tribe, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please know you are appreciated, valued, wanted, and loved.