Coffee – then adulting.

What a week. I was home by myself with both kids this week. My husband was helping his parents with a medical situation in Florida.

But life doesn’t stop when your own schedule changes. There is still school, field trips, sports practices, grocery shopping, homework, and everything in between.

Even before you take on extracurricular activities for your kids, you wonder just how much it will impact your normal routine. After a few times, you get the hang of the drop-off, pick-up, carpool routine. Then it starts to become the normal routine. Here’s a good time to Google the Marcello Hernandez “Pick You Up and Drop You Off” joke. It perfectly encapsulates the amusing yet exhausting reality of our daily schedules.

But I’ve learned over the last several years that you find your village – a community of support – beyond your family; you find it in your kids’ friends’ parents, their teammates’ parents, your neighbors, etc. Whether it’s coordinating rides to practices, sharing in the excitement of a game, or just exchanging supportive messages, these connections have become crucial lifelines. I don’t know how I would get through the mental gymnastics of planning everything without them. Their willingness to step in, whether it’s for a last-minute carpool or an unexpected playdate, has truly been a blessing.

I am so thankful to know people who are always happy to help out, no questions asked. Their kindness extends beyond mere favor; it builds a network of shared experiences that make the challenges of parenting a bit lighter.

This week, I was a single parent. And all I have to say is props to all the single parents doing this on the daily. The strength and resilience that single parents show amazes me; they are the true superheroes.

We need social connection more than ever. Maybe that comes in the form of a village that becomes your circle. It’s a reminder of how we are not alone, even in our busiest moments. We all share the common goal of raising our children to be happy, healthy, and kind. Even if our kids are anxious, quiet, or just different, they are accepted. And together, we can make this journey a little bit easier to navigate.