The Tribe

    Tribes are nothing new.  In the Bible there are the 12 Tribes of Israel, where some will say we all came from one.  Tribes have always held significance in societies, especially in death.  Some tribes believe in a rebirth after a death, like an endless circle of continuance.  The best part of tribes though, is that they don't have to be your bloodline. Tribes, regardless of affiliation, fiercely protect their own.  They come in without being asked.  They pick up their wounded and breathe life back into them.  They never falter.  The tribe I have in my life, saved my life.  They showed me their own scars and shared their experiences.  They promised me there would be the other side of this.  They checked in, they listened, they let me cry, they held me and my girls closer to them than ever before.  Some poured the drinks, some brought the matches. We shared meals, we had days that turned into nights under the stars.  They were the safe reality I needed to see that life was going to go on, and they would be there.  They came from all over the world.  They called, they sent reminders of my strength, and they prayed.  While some will mock the power of prayer, my girls are proof that He hears them.  My existence today is proof.  My spirituality was nearly non-existent at this point.  My tribe kept praying.  They believed I would survive.  It would have to be my own journey, but they made sure I knew I was never going to be alone.