Today I'm cat sitting for a friend of mine who recently traveled home for maternity leave. I just got a picture on my phone from my childhood bestie of her fresh new baby. I have plans to call and check in on a friend in Germany whose new little boy is just a few months old. I'm at the stage in life where I'm finding myself surrounded by friends with growing families and while I'm childless by choice and will die on the hill of bodily autonomy and abortion access is healthcare, I'm constantly thinking about how glad I am for a world that includes parents like this.
One sweet friend came from the kindest, sweetest, and most gentle family. I remember countless sleepovers and endless silliness in the comfort of a family home that felt like being wrapped in a warm homemade quilt. She has since built a family of four beautiful kiddos that feels like an exact copy of that unconditional love.
Another friend fought through a difficult childhood. She fought to take care of herself against challenges she should never have had to face. She bravely fought for her own individual path and now I see her fighting just as bravely for her two children to have the family, and the mother, she never had.
It takes a village to raise our children to be kind, good people. It takes a village to make a world that is safe enough for those same children. Whether you're parents like my dear friends or childless like me, we're all working together to build a better future for today's generation and those to come. And we've got a lot of work to do.
