It Takes A Village

By: Joe Cagle

You often hear the phrase, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I’ve always agreed with that statement but I never knew just how big the village was.

Shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak in America I learned the village raising my twin four-year-old boys is very big indeed.

My mother has been a constant point of strength for my wife and me since our boys were born in December of 2015. Lauren’s side of the family has also been a point of support for us since the boys were born. They will always get the love and appreciation from us they deserve.

However, a new group has entered the “circle of trust,” and that’s the twins' teachers. Since August our boys have seen the same teachers five days a week almost without fail. When it was announced that schools, businesses, and public buildings were to be closed we quickly realized just how much a part of all our lives these teachers are. Since the school closures we’ve talked with the boys' teachers on several occasions and they miss us as much as we miss them.

It’s odd that we don’t realize just how many people affect our lives in a positive way until we don’t see them for long periods of time. I imagine a lot of you have been going through the same thing in the last few months. I’m sure you’re ready to grab a coffee without any worries, or sit down at a local restaurant and chit chat with the staff. I know I’m ready for everything to return to normal, and hopefully by the time you’re reading this it has returned to normal, or it’s quickly getting there.

When all of the news broke about COVID-19 and its effect on America, I was of course concerned about the health of my friends and family. I was also pretty concerned as to how in the world I would entertain two four-yearold boys seven days a week for God knows how long. I asked myself, “how can I be exactly what

It Takes A Big Village The Average Joe

they need every single day, all day?”

The answer I got - they are everything I need, every single day, all day. Being at home with them this long has been one of the best things to happen to me. I’ve had the opportunity to spend more time with my boys, wife, and mother than I would have in any other circumstance. For that I am truly thankful. As a side note, I’m also extremely happy with how well my golf game has come along. I’ve been spending a great deal of time in the backyard practicing my short game. If I can just figure out how to actually get the ball in front of the green I’ll be in good shape.

I think that’s the silver lining to this whole COVID situation. Sure, it hasn’t been convenient to be at home. We’ve seen friends and family lose jobs and even seen some lose their lives, but we’ve been given the chance to sit back and realize just how important our families and those closest to us are. We’ve also been given the chance to realize how important our support groups are to everyday life.

The lady serving you a meal to go at a local restaurant, the guy swabbing your nose in a HAZMAT suit, all the teachers taking time to meet with you via internet to check on your kids, and the countless others who have been working straight through this whole mess should all be appreciated and thanked the first chance you get.

It’s important to thank all of those who have worked during this pandemic to ensure we’ve had some kind of normalcy, but when it becomes safe to do so again, it's important to help the folks we know. Visit your local restaurants, bars, salons, barber shops, and retail stores as soon as you’re comfortable and take advantage of curbside and delivery options in the meantime.

It will take a lot more than a virus to beat down the spirit of my fellow Americans.