In a panic I reached out to them, the text message read: my husband was just given notice of being laid off. My anxiety was rising as I wondered what our future now held. The replies started to come in, messages of encouragement, love, and requests for his resume so they could help pass along his credentials. Who in my family’s moment of duress was coming to our rescue, who was it I turned to first? My tribe…we call ourselves the Selfie Girlz.
I first met this group of amazing women when my oldest was in second grade. He had the most amazing teacher that year! She brought our tribe together, she encouraged us to all be her room-moms. That year not only did our children grow and learn together, but so did we. A teacher and her room-moms.
Our group wasn’t an instant tribe, it was cultivated over time. At our end of the year dinner for room-volunteers we took a group selfie with everyone (from the whole class) and then made plans over the summer to join up again. We met a few more times and by mid-summer it was just the 5 of us making it to meetups. However, at every meet up we would snap a quick group selfie. Then one night out with each other we realized, we weren’t just a teacher and her room-moms, we were a group of friends, we dubbed ourselves the Selfie Girlz. Our selfie photo tradition is still in place, whenever we are together, we grab a quick group selfie.
Years have passed since our children have been in second grade together. We have celebrated with each other in good times and have been a spot of comfort and support in hard times. We have been there for each other to help welcome new life, start new careers, help with each other’s kids, shoulders to lean on and cry on. So that early April morning when my husband was dealt a career blow, it’s our tribe I turned to lean, to voice my worries and doubts. These women lifted me, helped me find my strength, and helped me be strong for my husband and our family.
I hope you have a tribe, if you don’t, I encourage you to build one. Surround yourself with people who are going to uplift you, be honest with you, and will love you even when you trip and fall. They may already be part of your village or not, but who ever they are they are waiting for you, you will be blessed by them and them by you. I know this because I am incredibly blessed by my tribe! If you have a tribe, I want to know about them, please share and give a shout out to your tribe below!
