A Village

Remember when it was the 'thing' to say that 'it takes a village to raise a child?' Stop for a moment and think about that concept. How true it really is. It does take a village. One of the many questions I have lately is where have all the villages gone? Once upon a time there was a village watching over and loving on the children. Where did they go? Are we as this generation so incredibly self absorbed that we have forgotten we are PART of the village and just assume another member of the village will step up to the plate and take on our part? I am speaking on many levels....my own children...how I had always hoped there would be a large village surrounding my children, loving, watching, nurturing, correcting, guiding every step along side me throughout their lives. My philosophy has always been the more people who love my children the better off they will be....
It is not just my children who lack a village....the generation coming up and including even my eldest. Is a hurting generation, they are lonely and crying out for a village to step up and do the right thing by them.
We need to quit pointing fingers at others and placing blame when things go wrong, when crisis hits and tragedy consumes us we need to unite, come together. gather them up in our collective arms and hold them. Whispering prayers of love and protection over them. Carrying them to the loving God who created them. It is all of our responsibility to care for the children, to hold them when they are hurting, too cheer for them when they triumph. If we pull together we will be stronger than any negative forces out there. Parents, family, teachers, educators, religious community members, doctors, friends.....if banned together we are large in number, if united for our children we a force not to be reckoned with. We can triumph, we can raise up a generation of youth who can and will change our world in amazing ways. If we don't step up and be counted on behalf of our children the results will be devestating beyond all belief....
Please, stand up, be counted, be the one who binds the village together around our children. Stop blaming and stand up!!!!!