It Takes A Village (People)

A friend included #takesavillage in a text conversation this week as we were discussing the logistics of the mundane. This led to a brief exchange that ended with a GIF (pronounced JIF grandma) of Jimmy Fallon doing the Y-M-C-A.

Of course, this got me thinking about The Village People. Did you know they had three albums that went Platinum? Platinum is a million records sold people! That is a ton of dough (even if it is split between six people in funny costumes). Back from a Wikipedia "research" binge, I started to think about my own village for a bit. It doesn't include anyone in a construction worker or sailor costume but it is still pretty awesome. Here are some of the cool things we have gotten to share with our village in the last few days:

Beautiful flowers and a wonderful painting.

Lots of lunch dates for Jordan!

Mobility is tough but she can still use chopsticks for her sushi!

Parker attended her first treatment session with Jordan. Parker turned down a massage from Stan. She has lots to learn.

Target shopping trip sponsored by friends. Don't worry we bought all the leggings and snacks (despite my best protesting).

A friend delivered a treatment chain for Jordan. It is hanging on a wall in our living room. It is currently touching the floor. Each day after Jordan gets back from her radiation treatment we get to remove a chain. Parker is especially excited about this because she immediately turns the chain links into an unconventional art project.

We also got a couple of packages from Georgia this week. They were from my former co-workers at Ethel Kight Elementary. A place that I was thankful to call home the first six years that I taught. A place that allowed me to grow, make mistakes and learn that educating young people is something that I want to pursue as my career and passion. There were lots of sweet notes and some awesome gifts (for Jordan, myself and the kiddos). It served as an emotional reminder for me of how formative that time was for me and in turn my family. A village that I'm no longer a part of but will always be a part of me.

Last night we left our kids with some of the village and went to a rock show. Or maybe a power pop show depending on who you speak with. We saw Jimmy Eat World and Incubus. Jimmy Eat World had a wildly successful album (Bleed American) that was basically the anthem of the summer Jordan and I met. It went Platinum and the band is still together (eat your heart out Village People). It was a fun and reflective album that was perfect to sing along to with friends while you cruised around on warm summer nights in suburban Georgia with the windows rolled down. Those songs will always be anchored to memories of that summer for me and will never fail to bring a smile to my face. They brought a smile to my face last night as I watched Jordan sing along. If you ever want to hear more about why Bleed American is a great album or why a concert t-shirt costs $35 (and I bought one) I'm perfectly happy to regale you with stories from 2001. All it will cost you is a beer.

Looking a little older than when we first sang along with Jimmy Eat World.

Finally I will leave you with a quote that was in a letter I received from my principal this week. It resonated with me and all that we have been going through. Hopefully it will sit a while with you as well.

"We must take care of our families wherever we find them."

Thanks for being a part of our village!

Brack