What would you do for your Village?
Through a life of dipping just over and under the poverty line, i have actively avoided having children. I never felt ready (financially sustainable) enough to be responsible for every aspect of another human life, and thus practiced medical contraception.
There was a time where i felt i had a stable future, a job i liked, a partner in whom I saw a fantastic co-parent. It didn't happen for us and we have since gone in different directions in life, and since then and until today i still do not want to reproduce. Controversial free will, somehow.
At some point in the future, should (my financial/living situation and-) the rules on disabled and/or single and/or queer people becoming foster parents and adopting drastically change, I'd love to foster and adopt teenagers, particularly those who face intersectionality barriers.
Once they're adults, they'd be welcome to go out on their way or stay and help so we could take on more who need it.
If i had a large enough space, I'd love to also offer housing for adults in crisis. I've lived in many a "House of Strays" where folks would visit, fall in love with the vibe, and end up moving in.
My mother often dreamed of winning the lotto and building a village for her and her relatives. Over the years the number of blood relations on the vip invite list gets smaller and smaller as we both learn about chosen family.
Many quote "blood is thicker than water", falsely claiming that the prose insists to prioritise "blood" relations over friends/partners - "water". The actual quote is "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb", which is quite obviously, the opposite to how its often used.
The blood of the covenant. A covenant, per Oxford Dictionary, is an agreement. The people who are around you and support you in the same or complementary ways. The people who listen to the words you say to try to understand you more, rather than waiting for their turn because it's expected.
I once had a third party plead me to call our mutual friend more often, because she simply lights up when i talk. Those are the people to keep around and invest your time and resources in. Choose your family carefully 💙