It Takes a Village
I took this picture about a week ago. It's a little nest that a mama and papa bird built in a planter outside on my front porch. I've been watching this nest every day waiting for the eggs to hatch as I water the plant every morning. I noticed the other day that there are now five tiny eggs in this nest and the bird family is doing their best to keep these eggs dry, warm, and safe.
When I went to water my plant this morning, the mama bird flew off as usual when I approached. As I came closer with my watering can, I noticed one of the five eggs was sitting precariously on the edge of the nest. The mama bird must have accidentally knocked it out as she flew away from me but her instincts told her to get to safety.
Now I can only imagine if this mama bird recognized one of her precious babies-to-be was literally on the edge of life or death, watching me from a distance as I moved closer to the rest of her eggs that were tucked safely in the nest. I felt her watching me as I went inside and came back out with a soft tissue to move the egg back into the nest with the others without touching it directly. I hoped that my "tampering" with the eggs didn't drive her away and all five eggs could be safely taken care of again.
When I finished watering the plant and making sure the eggs were all securely in the nest, I went back inside and waited for the mama to return. I watched through the window for about ten minutes and finally she came back. Maybe it was just my imagination, but she seemed to inspect the nest carefully before returning to it. All seems well now, and I'm hoping I'll see five baby birds emerge into this world in the coming weeks.
Just like this mama bird, I find myself needing outside assistance from others in my life's journey. As a mom to a busy toddler, I have to rely on help from my family and friends in taking care of not only my child, but myself, my relationship, and my family. There is a common saying that states it takes a village to raise a child. I'd like to take that one step further and say that it also takes a village to raise a family.
A special focus of mine as a therapist is to help new and young families in the transition into parenthood. What I find from working with these families is that too often, the focus goes to the child or children. The family unit as a whole suffers because each parent does not receive the necessary individual and couple attention they deserve and crave. New parents are exhausted not only because they are sleep-deprived, but also because they aren't taking care of themselves or their relationship with their partner. Like the mama bird, we become so focused on the task at hand (safety in her case), that sometimes important things can fall through the cracks.
As a new-ish parent myself, I have to practice both self-care and relationship-care more intentionally than ever before. If I don't, my family suffers. My husband suffers. My child suffers. I suffer. I truly believe this village mentality has saved my sanity more than I can acknowledge. I have built a "tribe" of trusted people in my inner circle that I can call on for support and I know their help has assisted my family in more ways than just taking care of my child.
I urge you to reach out and allow me to help you build your village if you feel you are alone in your life's journey. No one should have to feel like they are struggling alone with becoming a new parent, losing a spouse to death or divorce, or raising kids. Yes, these are huge life transitions, but they shouldn't break your family or your relationships.
Call me at 720-381-2755 or email me at tradewindstherapy at gmail dot com to set up your free 30 minute consultation today and get on the path to success! Your village is out there - let me help you find it.
