They say it takes a village to raise a child and I couldn’t agree more. But that village is also needed to keep the parents of these children semi-sane in this carnival we all willingly became a part of. I mean, let’s all be honest. Parenting challenges everything – including your friendships – and I’m lucky enough to be part of a tribe that has stuck together through it all.
My tribe resembles an old tree, whose roots are deeply embedded into the ground. With over twenty years of friendship, we are as tight as the knot we tie in our kids’ shoelaces.
The women in my tribe are the kind women you want in your corner when you’re making really bad life choices – and I made a lot of really bad life choices. They’re the kind that will give you shit when you need it, yet will be by your side, supporting you no matter how bad things are. Finding your tribe means being part of a group of women who you can laugh yourself to tears and cry yourself to sleep with.
Here we have a group of friends who know everything there is to know about each other. In fact, most knew each other from elementary school and a few others, like me, joined the crew in high school. As adults in our late 30’s who are spread around and living our own lives with our own families, it’s harder to see each other on a regular basis. With the busy schedules filled with sports and birthday parties and family time, we do our best to pencil each other in weeks – if not months – in advanced to make sure we get our time.
However, no amount of time apart or distance between us has ever made any difference. We always knew that despite venturing off to find ourselves, when we came home, our tribe would be there welcoming us back into the fold with open arms. The conversations would pick up as if they’d never ended and the laughter would only increase in pitch.
You see, when you have a crew as special and tight as this one, you hold on to it. You cherish it. These strong and incredibly successful women are women I look up to and strive to be as good as. They motivate me and they inspire me. There is an abundance of love between us and there is no shortage of support. I’ve trusted these women with holding my hair, my hand, my tears, and my heart; things they have all held at one point or another.
When you have people in your life who have not only helped you plan your wedding and your life with kids, but who have also helped bring you out of black holes and pulled you back from relapses, you know you’re in good hands. You believe in trust.
#friendslikefamily
For more on Family, take a look at No Ordinary Boy: A Child Growing Up With a Heart Transplant
