The Importance of Your Tribe

Life is messy. As women, most of us say yes too much and often feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. Whether we have small children, grown children, no children at all…there is one thing we need. We need to be loved and accepted; we need a tribe. A tribe is a term that was new to me, and after looking it up I realized why it is so fitting when a woman describes her friends and family as a tribe. (I typed “tribe” into Google and this is what I found: noun/ a social division in a traditional society consisting of families or communities linked by social, economic, religious, or blood ties, with a common culture and dialect, typically having a recognized leader.

I didn’t realize the importance of a tribe until I became a mother. Maybe it was motherhood, or
maybe it was moving to the country? Maybe it was a husband who heads out to the barn at the crack of dawn and doesn’t return until the middle of the night? I didn’t recognize the loneliness, but I had all sorts of questions and ideas and it wasn't like those college days where there were people down the hall who would have the answers. I turned to my friends and family and they introduced me to more amazing people and my tribe grew. It started with a short text about getting a proper latch for nursing. That friend told me about a local group who could help. Someone in that group became a friend and stopped over for coffee. Other moms got in touch with us via social media. Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by a large group of like-minded individuals.

Some of us live far away (one dear friend lives an ocean away in Ireland) and some of us live just down the road. We gather together online as well as in the kitchen at my home. Sometimes we are fortunate enough to gather in the outdoors, next to lovely Lake Michigan. Regardless of the space in which we gather, we provide one another with love, support, and we share ideas. We are not all alike. Like members of any community; we have diverse backgrounds and talents as well as differences in opinion. What we share is a common bond and desire to support and empower one another. Getting back to the tribe analogy, some members of a tribe hunt, others gather, some prepare the food, and others teach the children. They are all working toward a goal of survival for the entire tribe. This is how a healthy tribe looks in 2016 as well. Some of us bake delicious pastries, others know exactly where to find the best sun dried tomatoes, some of us are incredibly organized and can pop over to help with a rummage sale, and others are great at babysitting or giving a quick driving lesson.

As our lives move forward, members of the tribe find themselves dealing with health issues, divorce,
rebellious children, dying parents, tough economic times, etc…and like any tribe, we pull together to help one another. These tough times make the tribe stronger. A lone person walking aimlessly in unfamiliar and desolate woods would have a difficult time surviving. A tribe of people under the same conditions would find comfort with everything they need to either get everyone out of the situation or turn it into a thriving village.

Where did your tribe come from? Did they find you or did you find them? Are you an intentional tribe gathered around a salt bowl, or a social media group? No matter how you found one another or where you meet (virtually or physically), please know each of you is important and cumulatively you can do amazing things. Please leave a comment telling us about how a tribe has been important in your life.

Photo credits for today's post go to Jenn Morris-Fodden who I am proud to call a member of my tribe.

Crystal is a church musician, babywearing mama (aka crunchy mama), business owner, active journaler, writer and blogger, Blog Tour Manager with WOW! Women on Writing, Publicist with Dream of Things Publishing, as well as a dairy farmer. She lives in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin with her husband, four young children (Carmen 9, Andre 7, Breccan 2, and Delphine 1), two dogs, two rabbits, four little piggies, a handful of cats and kittens, and over 230 Holsteins.


You can find Crystal riding unicorns, blogging and reviewing books, baby carriers, cloth diapers, and all sorts of other stuff at: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/ and here: http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

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