Everyone has heard the African Proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child". The fact is, it does!
Every magician has an assistant or famulus, because a good magic act could not be pulled off without help and the role of a parent is too large of a task to take on alone.
I know that there are a lot of people out there that have raised children on their own with little to no support from others (that person might be you), however, I'm certain if they had it their way, they would have welcomed the help.
Thankfully, I am one of those very fortunate people in which I have a great team of support. Some are hired, most are not. My team of support consists of my family and very close friends I can call on in a pinch to help me with my children. I work in the social service field and even on a supervisory level, my work hours can be very unpredictable.
I know bragging is not nice, but I must brag, because my team of support (village) are AMAZING!!! I've been able to go on kids free vacations annually, date night with my significant other, late night work events and various unexpected outings. If it wasn't for my village, none of this would be possible... My life would be complicated and it probably would have affected my chances of getting promoted because networking is extremely important in any field of work (which always happens in the evening or weekends).
One part of my village is called the "Dual Moms". It's not exactly what one might think... We're a group of friends that have known each other for at least 20 years. Two of us have children and the other two are our backup moms (Godmothers). One pair of the dual moms resides in New Jersey and the other in New York. Ironically our daughters birthdays are two weeks apart, we even planned our baby showers around each other to ensure it did not conflict with one another. Our children are the best of friends and call each other cousins, so you know many play dates are planned throughout the year.
In this particular part of the village, we have cried together, shared our losses, frustrations, hopes and desires with one another. This village has helped me through some really tough times in my life; which has allowed me to be the great mom I was destined to be and "The Momgician" that's able to sprinkle a little bit of magic into my children's lives everyday!
Another part of my village is my family. My sister and I are only 4 years apart from each other, but there is a 15-16 years age gap between our children. When my sister was raising her children, I was her backup and her children calls me "Momti" (Mommy/Auntie). Although they are in their early 20's now, I'm still there for them. As an advocate, mentor and of course, financial assistance. Thankfully there is this age gap, because I can call on my niece and nephew for assistance with my children! Not to mention, they are very responsible and dependable. I also can call on my sister, although she's SO past the parenting of little children stage, she's there when I need her most.
To my wonderful Village, you know who you are and the role you play in our lives. I want to thank you for making everyday easier and for helping me while I take on this monumental task of parenthood!