There’s a saying you’ve likely heard: “It takes a village to raise a child.”
I say: It takes a village to do Life.
Not just parenting. Not just childhood. Not just in crisis or celebration—but in the full, messy, marvelous in-between that is this Human journey.
Recently, someone asked me a powerful question:
“Do you believe we have to have community in order to heal?”
And I’ll be honest… that made me pause.
Because for so long, I prided myself on my independence.
It’s the Capricorn in me. Resilient. Strong. Self-sufficient. A “do it myself” kind of person.
Sound familiar?
But if I’m being completely transparent, I’ve also come to learn this truth:
Even the most self-reliant among us need support to succeed in anything.
Not always for answers.
Not to fix us.
Not even to fully understand what we’re going through.
But, as Simon Sinek says, to just “sit in the mud with us.”
To simply witness us and our raw ache or confusion.
To sit beside us in the hard stuff, as we vomit our pain in words.
To hold space without agenda, but with our ears and our hearts.
To quietly reflect back that we matter. Our sufffering matters.
Healing doesn’t require community in a traditional sense—some people find solace in solitude, in nature, in spirit, in animals, in creativity, books, podcasts, and movies…or in the quiet and stillness of their be-ing.
But healing without connection? That’s a much steeper path.
Sometimes, healing happens because someone shows up at just the right time.
Maybe you’ve heard stories of the person who planned to jump off a bridge, and a single person smiled at them or said something that changed the tragectory of their day. Of their Life.
Or because someone didn’t—and we found strength we didn’t know we had.
Sometimes, a single conversation with a stranger can shift our perspective.
Sometimes, we find “our people” in the most unexpected places.
And sometimes, being the one who offers support is what heals us.
And when we heal ourselves? It creates a ripple effect, inspiring others to heal themselves.
Whether it’s a trusted friend, a support group, a compassionate professional, a faith circle, an online community, an animal shelter, soup kitchen or [insert your whatever]—we humans are wired for connection.
Each connection is a part of the very fabric of who we are and has the ability to help us live fully…
Because the truth is:
Life is a lot.
Loss, grief, change, uncertainty, growth, and heck, even joy and celebration—as a whole, it might just be too much to carry all alone.
And I don’t believe we’re meant to do it completely on our own.
So, yes—
It takes a village to raise a child.
But more than that?
It takes a village to do Life.
Who and What is in your village, Neighbor?
You belong here. You’re needed here. And you don’t have to do this alone.
I’m honored that you’re a part of our global village!
I see you. I feel you. And I believe in you, Neighbor.
Annah 💛