During your day-to-day business as usual, are you intentional about the seeds you sow into those you meet? If you died right now, what lessons have you shared or taught to those in your space? Do you even think about those types of things on a regular basis? As we finish out the month of May and celebrating mothers, I wanted to shout out a few additional women who were part of my village growing up. The effort they made pouring into me brought forth some life lessons that I still carry with me to this day. These women are Bobbie Pierce, Rosie Hicks, my grandmothers-Doshia and Azzie, and finally-the sweetest of them all, my great-grandmother Annie. When I sat down to do this recording, it was hard to verbalize the level of impact these women had in my life into words that weigh enough for you to understand what I mean. During my childhood, it was normal to be #villageraised. Kids today don’t know what they are missing. These women fed me, corrected me, loved me…they supported me. But more than that, they were the first ones to show me what it means to stand in the gap.
Their actions led the way in showing me who they were. Sometimes it was a dealing with a house full of kids that just wanted to hang out. Sometimes, it was letting me come over after school until my mom got off from work. And, sometimes, it was riding for a couple of hours with their son(who drove over the speed limit) to support me for homecoming activities or graduation. I wonder…for the days I was around them, were they tired? Did they feel like dealing with me or the other kids that were around? They all seemed to have the strength to pour. You know what I mean? After running around with your own kids and taking care of your own house, tired is an understatement. There are days I don’t even want to pour into my own household much less anyone else’s. Ask yourself…are you willing to give up your time and space for others like that? Seriously…ask yourself that question. If your answer is “no” or “it depends”…ask yourself, what’s stopping you. Please note - this isn’t a “make you feel bad post”; it’s a reflection post. It’s truly about taking a moment to look back then deciding to make a conscious decision to pay it forward. You see what a difference the village made in your life, right?
For you that were #villageraised like me, take a moment to remember the people in your village-whether they are still here or not…it’s worth the trip down memory lane. I can’t say it enough-this podcast community is about identifying the value in your village, maybe they are mentors, maybe they are advocates…maybe they are just some other women who had time to stand in the gap when you needed. There is value in my village...in your village...in OUR village. Let's set aside the excuses and pick up the baton to pass it on to someone in your village. Because the moment we start supporting each other...the moment "it" becomes easier. Don't focus on the "it"...focus on the support.
I promise you "IT" WILL BE WORTH IT!
Let's do it!
PS. Since you took the time to check out my blog, you get to listen to my newest episode FIRST.
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