I was raised in a “village”. IMO, two cultural influences are more powerful than the decrease in moms at home. First is the car. no one in our neighborhood had two cars for years. People carpooled, ran errands together, picked up kids from sports ( we walked to grade school). cars allowed us to put our kids in schools across town cuz they have a better math team , or change churches snd drive 20-40 minutes. You cannot have a tribe 40 minutes away.
Second is not staying in one place. My parents only owned 2 homes- the itty bitty 2 bedroom 700 ft house post WW2 and the only slightly bigger 3 bed- 1 bath they raised their family in. They stayed til they died, as did their neighbors. upper mobility is not always a gift. there is a price to be paid for moving away from one location where you have established friendships, relationships, and community to another just to have a better house or a better neighborhood.
What great observations! I think there is so much truth in what you say, I have never really thought about the impact of cars, but it makes so much sense, because of course people necessarily lived a much more local, rooted existence when they couldn’t easily drive around wherever they wished!
I have also had similar thoughts about the effects of people moving so much - my husband and I have recently moved to be near my parents and sisters. I think it is becoming more normal for couples with children in the UK to move to be close to one of the grandparents, at least it feels that way anecdotally.
Thank you. Here in the US , that trend is occurring too. Older people ( like us) are staying. Our neighbors sold their larger house to their adult children with little ones and moved across the street to a much smaller house! We are so glad they are all here!
Perfectly put Sister! Thank you for sharINg yourSelf and your story and the lessons (BlessINgs) BEstowed upon you IN your experience.
The Purpose of The Village IS not for takINg. It’s for both givINg and recievINg. Reciprocity IS the LifeBlood of The Village. Reciprocity ensures that The Villages WELL so to speak doesn’t run dry.
INvitations for illumINation and INtegration that I offer to Women IN my CommUNITY on thIS topic / theme / thread that I feel the call to share Here —
IN what Ways can I show up IN and with more Devotion to THE (literal and metaphorical) VILLAGE? That IS, how can I BE a more active participant and more INtimately INvolved IN THE VILLAGE mySelf?
IN what Ways have I rejected / do I reject the support and Service of THE VILLAGE?
IN what Ways have I withheld my own Presence from THE VILLAGE?
These are POTENT access poINts to alchemize what REPELS you from allowINg THE VILLAGE INto your HeART — and Home.
To restore THE VILLAGE externally, WE must first BEcome and BE aware of our own BEliefs and values regarding CommUNITY, support and Service. These questions Will support you IN identifyINg any INternalized INdividualistic tendencies and recognizINg the importance of reconcilINg these fragmentations. By acKnowledging your own ROLE and responsibility withIN CommUNITY, you can BEgIN to value and ask for the support and Service that comes from THE VILLAGE.
RestorINg THE VILLAGE, like All GOOD THINGS, BEgINs as an INside-out process, One that starts withIN ourSelves and ripples outwards, shapINg a more compassionate, carINg, and supportive society for everyOne!
I was raised in a “village”. IMO, two cultural influences are more powerful than the decrease in moms at home. First is the car. no one in our neighborhood had two cars for years. People carpooled, ran errands together, picked up kids from sports ( we walked to grade school). cars allowed us to put our kids in schools across town cuz they have a better math team , or change churches snd drive 20-40 minutes. You cannot have a tribe 40 minutes away.
Second is not staying in one place. My parents only owned 2 homes- the itty bitty 2 bedroom 700 ft house post WW2 and the only slightly bigger 3 bed- 1 bath they raised their family in. They stayed til they died, as did their neighbors. upper mobility is not always a gift. there is a price to be paid for moving away from one location where you have established friendships, relationships, and community to another just to have a better house or a better neighborhood.
What great observations! I think there is so much truth in what you say, I have never really thought about the impact of cars, but it makes so much sense, because of course people necessarily lived a much more local, rooted existence when they couldn’t easily drive around wherever they wished!
I have also had similar thoughts about the effects of people moving so much - my husband and I have recently moved to be near my parents and sisters. I think it is becoming more normal for couples with children in the UK to move to be close to one of the grandparents, at least it feels that way anecdotally.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
Thank you. Here in the US , that trend is occurring too. Older people ( like us) are staying. Our neighbors sold their larger house to their adult children with little ones and moved across the street to a much smaller house! We are so glad they are all here!
This is beautiful and so thought provoking. Thank you for articulating this!
Thank you so much 🙏🏼 so glad this piece resonated with you.
Perfectly put Sister! Thank you for sharINg yourSelf and your story and the lessons (BlessINgs) BEstowed upon you IN your experience.
The Purpose of The Village IS not for takINg. It’s for both givINg and recievINg. Reciprocity IS the LifeBlood of The Village. Reciprocity ensures that The Villages WELL so to speak doesn’t run dry.
INvitations for illumINation and INtegration that I offer to Women IN my CommUNITY on thIS topic / theme / thread that I feel the call to share Here —
IN what Ways can I show up IN and with more Devotion to THE (literal and metaphorical) VILLAGE? That IS, how can I BE a more active participant and more INtimately INvolved IN THE VILLAGE mySelf?
IN what Ways have I rejected / do I reject the support and Service of THE VILLAGE?
IN what Ways have I withheld my own Presence from THE VILLAGE?
These are POTENT access poINts to alchemize what REPELS you from allowINg THE VILLAGE INto your HeART — and Home.
To restore THE VILLAGE externally, WE must first BEcome and BE aware of our own BEliefs and values regarding CommUNITY, support and Service. These questions Will support you IN identifyINg any INternalized INdividualistic tendencies and recognizINg the importance of reconcilINg these fragmentations. By acKnowledging your own ROLE and responsibility withIN CommUNITY, you can BEgIN to value and ask for the support and Service that comes from THE VILLAGE.
RestorINg THE VILLAGE, like All GOOD THINGS, BEgINs as an INside-out process, One that starts withIN ourSelves and ripples outwards, shapINg a more compassionate, carINg, and supportive society for everyOne!
Yes, these are such important questions…thank you for sharing. Reciprocity truly is the lifeblood of all true community. ♥️
Thank you for recievINg Sister! I AM Grateful to connect with you 🤍