Cumulative Protections

Building a safety net of love.

If it takes a village to raise a child, what about our baby selves in our hearts? What richer lives could we lead if we intentionally surrounded ourselves with concentric circles of mutual support?

Our circle of friends plays a game where each party joyfully tries to outdo the next with love bombs. Meal trains, last-minute babysitting, store runs, borrowed vehicles, you name it.

Because of this village we've built, each family feels safer moving through the world and taking risks. We encourage each other to dream bigger, go farther. We know we're held if something goes wrong.

We get to enjoy the warmth of being able to provide help when it's needed, too.

A small example of this is music festivals. Thats where it all started for us, really. I parked my van where gate crew led me and opened the door to the best hug I'd ever had in my life. Over the weekend, we learned everybody had young children. We also learned that luxurious friendship and sincere concern for others was a trait we all shared.

Each family had wanted their children to develop a love for the scene, but felt nervous taking small kids to such big events. Years later and the Herd boasts nearly 30 members when we’re all together, kids and adults.

The far-ranging safety net we’ve nurtured for our tribe grew out of a childishly honest idea: Do you wanna be friends? Life just lucked us all into being receptive to opportunities for love at the same moment, same space in time.

I have to wonder how much bleaker all our lives would be if we hadn’t decided to take a chance on each other. Who would have lost their jobs, their homes, their loves? Who would have resisted hope and stayed on proven paths instead of gambling on life-changing risks?

Who would we perhaps have lost from this world without ever knowing?

In a world where we’re jaded by the press of numbers, shrunk by the press of schedules and demands, I wonder if we often miss opportunities to bond. I wonder if the lack of a bonded group keeps many of us from reaching our full potential.

It’s so common to feel alone going through life, but we truly don’t have to be. Like attracts like, they say. I wish you all the presence of mind to see loves when they appear and to act on it. To choose friends that make you richer when you give all of yourself.

I wish you a Herd of your own.

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