The concept of a village is not always so renowned. We get to new duty stations and we shut our doors praying that communication with someone we can relate to will miraculously happen. We want and we NEED a village but we lack courage in finding it, or worse we let our minds convince us that such a camaraderie doesn’t exist anymore. The world is FULL OF VILLAGES.
Almost always it starts with one knock or one genuine conversation and then it compounds and strengthens. We show up for each other, and not just when catastrophe strikes, or deployments happen. We show up when heartache in any form shows it’s dirty little face, or when fatigue is apparent, or just when we get a pang in our hearts that someone needs a reminder that they are loved. The village is invaluable in a sense that it opens its arms to us when we need it most but also when we don’t know we need it at all.
Villages are our fortresses but they are also our’s to build. It is never too late to begin the construction. To be immersed in good works and to genuinely seek opportunities to lift others. Most of all… we need to show up for our village. To give when there is a time for giving and receive when there is a time for receiving. We feed our village and our village feeds us. We need a village and our village needs us. Find your village, fortify your village, and love your village. We all need a village.
