Monday, October 15, 2012

The Power of We, Blog Action Day


Ok I am arriving late to the game today, I almost scrapped it and did not post for Blog Action Day but this post has been running around in my head since I re-upped for the even this year so it had to find it's place.

For me the power of we was recently gifted to me from an unlikely source, Facebook.  Yes you read that correctly, as social media site gave me and my Monkey Baby (she is now 8 and no longer a baby but IS very similar to a guy called Curious George) a feeling of being lifted up, when life had trampled us a bit.  I discovered that we are all truly part of a village.  That it takes a "we" to get through this crazy thing called life with all it's ups and it's downs as we navigate our paths. 

After the first week of school, said Monkey Baby said she needed to talk to me.  This talk ended up with tears and her telling me of how she is made fun of in school for basically every reason that makes her the completely awesome, unique Monkey Baby that our little corner of the world has come to love.  She was hurt to her core.  And with her story and her words so in fact was I as her Mama.  I couldn't fix it.  I could not protect her heart from this very sad right of passage of growing up.  We talked and talked.  We came up with ideas and things for her to do, try, and plans for what happens next. 

                                                                   (Monkey Baby)

Once my yummy was in bed, I felt soooo lost.  I felt like I was stumbling alone through this tunnel called parenthood.  So I turned, as do many of us, to FB and I told our little tale, threw it out to the masses.  What happened over the next few days was a source of healing and comfort to my Mama's heart.  Messages from people I knew casually and those I had known for what seems like ever.  Everyone unique in their approach and content.  Some had stories of self, some were cheering her on to keep being her, some sent songs, some sent quotes.  But it was what has come to be known as an outpouring.  And most of the people sending messages to my little lady did not know her personally.  But they pulled together to support and in effect protect my little person from the sad fact of bullying.  I felt like these people pulled together and built us a safety net.  They reach out to me and her and showed that there is more and that we in our little corner of the world are NOT alone.  I read these messages to her and played her the songs and she smiled and said "I think they like me."  I still believe these messages pulled her through.  They buoyed her bouncy spirit and put her back onto her track in this world of blazing trails not just following them.

I do believe that we are a village.  That despite miles and the busyness that our lives now hold that we are there for each other when the chips are down.  I think we lose sight and it gets eclipsed in the fast of our world now.  But I know that the power of we is still here and is very strong!!  And I am grateful for my crazy little village of people watching our for me and my family.