Photo by Sarah Rice / Sarah Rice for msnbc.com
This article makes my heart so full, I could burst open. Take a moment to click over and read it, if you can. You see, I am beyond blessed to be married to a wonderful man and a part of a very giving family. When the dark days after Asher was born proved too difficult to handle alone, we had help.
Many people don’t have that safety net. They may wonder what would happen to them if a serious illness or injury befell them. I can relate to some degree due to our years in Charlotte, NC. When we first moved, we were a newly married and very young couple. Not only that, but we were just a few months away from becoming parents for the very first time. Our nearest family member was 600 miles away, and we did not know a soul when we first settled into life in Charlotte.
But, slowly, we developed friends that felt like family. We never had a need that went unmet. I am passionate about community care for people who may not have family nearby, so I was so glad to see the issue get attention in the national stage.
Sometimes, when we have family nearby, we forget that there are others that have no family to speak of. They may be widowed, or never married, or just far removed or estranged from their extended family. I think that caring for those individuals is a burden that we need to bear, to take some of the weight off their shoulders.
Are you involved in some way in caring for or supporting those who have no support? I need to be looking into new ways now that we have relocated. This article was such a great reminder to seek out new ways to care.