(Previously Published on Mrs Words Blog)

As I was sitting alone in my quiet house the other day, a thought struck me that I can’t seem to shake. I have found myself telling a few people over the past few days too and I’m kind of surprising myself. The more I think on it, the more it rings true.

I am really enjoying motherhood at the moment.

Okay, so here’s the thing – and I’m gonna be real honest right now – I haven’t always enjoyed being a Mum. At times, I have seriously tried to find a way to pull the plug on the whole motherhood thing, and I have been known to yell, “someone, please let me off this crazy train! I can’t do this anymore!” Anyone else?

At the moment, our family unit comprises of three teenagers – yep! 3! With one pre-teen in the mix, a husband that travels a bit for work and me, holding the fort as the at-home-mum (something that I have never really been until this past year). We are quite a collection. I call us a Clan. The Stewart Clan, in fact. Because that’s what I feel we are.

The dictionary describes a clan as: a close-knit group of interrelated families, especially in the Scottish Highlands; a large family; a group of people with a strong common interest.

We are just a group of people (six, to be precise), who happen to be related by blood and are trying to live their best lives, helping each other and working together in common unity.

And, I think that’s the key really. Community. Common-Unity. Described in the dictionary like this: a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common; the condition of sharing or having certain attitudes and interests in common.

I think I have finally figured out and admitted to myself that I can’t do it all on my own. Not this parenting thing, not marriage, not motherhood, not dragging up my children, not working, not anything. The key is community. Having people around you and your family that have the same kind of moral compass and are going in the same direction (or similar direction) as you are, is what makes the difference.

You see, the house was quiet because each one of my children were away at SummerCamp. The three older ones were at one place and the younger one was at a different campsite. My husband was at work, so there was no one home except for me. The house was quiet and although I had spent the last 6 weeks with the children at home for school holidays, I was actually finding myself missing them.

I had to take a moment to assure myself that they were all fine, being cared for and probably having heaps more fun than they had had the entire previous 6 weeks of the holidays. And that was the key, right there. The shining light in the whole scenario. They were being looked after and cared for by others, whom I trusted to spend time and impart goodness into my children.

What a privilege and blessing it is to have such a gift. Community. Common-Unity. Those younger than us, older than us, more experienced and wiser than us, those who’ve travelled further than us and those who are just starting on their journey. Together, we make a rowdy, rambunctious, loving bunch, but really, my community, my people, the ones who are there when I need them; who pickup and ferry my kids around; who call in and chat; who send through a text of encouragement when they don’t even know I need it; who ask for help when they need it; those we share meals with and meet at parks to play with; those who care and ask after us when we aren’t there. They are our people, our community and boy, do they make my parenting so much easier.

So, I’ll come back to my statement at the start – I am really enjoying motherhood at the moment and that’s mostly because of the community around us that are helping me to raise my family to be the best people that we can be, and I am so thankful for them. My people, my clan, my community.