It Takes a Village

When people say "it takes a village", they aren't kidding. I don't know where we would be without the love and support of our friends and family. Life is tough, but it definitely helps to know you have people you can lean on. It makes you feel like you're not going to hit rock bottom when you take a leap of faith, because you know you have a support system. The people in my support system are all unique and amazing, so let me introduce some of my village!

My mother Jill is one of the most resilient people I know. It's probably because she's so stubborn, but that's a good thing (my husband wondered where I got my hardheadedness from). She loves and protects so fiercely, if you're someone she keeps close just know that you're very lucky to have her on your side. She is generous to a fault and never wants anyone she she cares about to go without. I want to be my mommy when I grow up! And as for my dad Jeff, he's one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. He has the type of humor that we have to warn people about before they meet him, and apparently I take after him in that regard. He's also protective, and we fought a lot growing up because we approached things differently, even though our end goal was the same. He wanted what was best for me and tried his best to instill a strong work ethic. He saw strength in me that I didn't always see in myself.

My sister Brittany is strong and loud, she will say what everyone is just thinking. She has your back in any situation and will fight for you, whether you want her to or not, because she is loyal. She is vibrant and a force to be reckoned with, but she is also a softy inside, regardless of how tough she tries to present herself. We don't always agree and we both take after our mom with the stubbornness, but we will always have each other's backs. My other sister Sandra was sort of adopted into our family a long time ago. We met her through my little brother's daycare where she worked part time, and we bonded with her quickly. She speaks her mind and will tell you how it is, but never in a mean way. She just wants people to be the best version of themselves. We lived and worked together for a long time, so we have a lot of inside jokes and even though she is busy with her four boys, she will always check in and let me know she is thinking of me.

My brother Jake is goofy AF. He's a hypochondriac and is very social. I can't keep up with his crazy self, though I see a lot of his partying on instagram. We don't talk as often as we should, we usually check in on birthdays and holidays, and our family's annual zoom call for our brother Hayden's birthday. Speaking of Hayden, he may not be physically part of my village anymore, but I feel like he's with us in spirit. I do wonder sometimes what type of man he would be, if he would enjoy being Billy's uncle (he probably would have taught him some choice words by now). I wish he was still here and it breaks my heart that he's not.

My parents-in-law are the sweetest people, I got really lucky with my in-laws. Sarah is the type of person who will do anything to help you, but she apologizes for it because she doesn't want to overstep. I tell her all the time that she never oversteps and the we truly appreciate her, but she doesn't believe us and will continue to say sorry. Richard is quiet and standoffish sometimes, but he tells the funniest stories and is very quick to offer a helping hand. They both would give you the shirts off their backs and are wrapped around Billy's little finger.

Ansley and Theo are my husband's sister and brother-in-law, and they are wonderful. Ansley can be stubborn and high strung sometimes, but she inherited her parent's kindness and giving nature. She will go to the mat for you and go above and beyond to be generous. Theo is also the quiet type (I call him Mumbles sometimes), he is also very funny and helpful. Ansley and Theo balance each other wonderfully and spoil Billy rotten. They are amazing friends and I'm glad to have them as a brother and sister.

These are some of our village, and doesn't even include our friends, which is a formidable army of people. My husband and I are incredibly fortunate, we love our family and friends and we hope that we are just as dependable to them as they are to us. Your friends are a reflection of who you are, and if that's the case, we are very happy with who we are.