It takes a village to raise a child. Sounds familiar? We usually don’t hear it takes a village to get through a pandemic, to navigate your 20s, to lean on in your 60s, or just navigate life! We sometimes act as though we need that village any less as we get older.

After spending time in my Trinidad village this year, I was reminded of the importance of have a “village” that is a community I could turn to for support. If I am being honest - I forgot. I forgot how nice it is to walk down the street and have at least three people stop me just to chat. I forgot about the unplanned hang outs that lead to me simply spending time with friends and family. I even forgot what it’s like to have multiple people I can call if I got a flat tire.

While I was raised by a large support system, after moving to Canada that community I could turn to went from a village to a handful of people. My house always had a note on the fridge with all our emergency contacts listed out incase of an incident. That list included 911, my parents work phone numbers and the two people who lived close enough to help in case of an emergency.

Over the years we have slowly built our Canadian community and we’re even gradually adding to that emergency contact list. No matter what phase of life we’re in - we all need a community we can turn to for support. My village in Trinidad keeps me grounded but I am building my Canadian village so that I have a support system to lean on when I am in my 60s.

The takeaway: build your village.