It Takes A Whole Village

There was a baby shower today in the community. One of the incredible things that was said by a member of the community. She said that although she has lived as a celibate for her life, she has always been able to act as a surrogate grandmother to all the children in the community. She said that you need a lot of help when you are raising a child and the couple had gotten very lucky living in the community that provides endless aunts, uncles and cousins for their child.

I couldn't help but think of a song that a friend's choir has sung a few times. The lyrics to this song speaks of the whole village being needed to raise one child. It was written for the AIDS crisis in Africa as there are so many orphans caused by the epidemic. The villages band together to raise the children who are left when their parents are gone.

In this century, the village mentality has been lost in many places. It doesn't really exist at all in North America except for the few places that there is an intentional community. I am lucky enough to live in a community that is entirely intentional and very supportive. The nuclear family has for the most part replaced the idea of involving many in the lives of children. Extended family is not as close as it once was and many people can be spread out across a country or even an ocean.

My family is not always as close as I would like them to be, but I know that they are there for me when I need it. I also have a community in my church as well as the one that I have now chosen for myself. I have my village and I know that I am incredibly lucky.

Today when I was sitting at the baby shower, I knew how lucky the couple sitting at the front were. I also knew that I want this community to help me raise the children I will eventually have. I'm not going to have a child in the immediate future, but the love, hope and support that was throughout all of those who were there made me want to have a child. That and the fact that there is someone who I can see long term in my life.

It takes a whole village to raise a child. It takes the support and love of all those around the family as well as the love of those who were part of the genetic creation of the child. There was plenty of advice offered today when it comes to raising the new child. The best advice given was to allow the village to take part in the miracle of life.