My Parenting Advice? Find Your Person.

Parents, if I can offer one piece of advice from the world of parenthood, it is this: find your person.

Not the cutest diaper bag. Not the sleekest car or the fanciest preschool. Not the car seat that is also a stroller that is also a high chair that is also a jet pack.

Find the person who will come over and hold your baby when all you need is a shower and a nap.

Find the person who will talk you off the ledge when you’re convinced you’re doing it all wrong.

Find the person who will comfort you and not judge you when you’ve had it UP TO HERE with your spouse leaving their underwear right beside the hamper instead of in it.

Find the person who your teenager can call when they have a problem they’re not yet ready to discuss with you.

Find the person who is ready to drop everything for queso and margaritas after a hard day, no questions asked.

Find the person who is wiling to have hard conversations with you. Who doesn’t shy away from being honest with you, even when it hurts.

Find the person who tells you they’re coming over, and even when your house is a wreck, you don’t hesitate — because you know that they don’t care… and neither do you.

When things get tough, it’s easy to retreat inward. To let loneliness take hold. To try to solve big problems on your own. But this isn’t the way. Raising children is hard work, and it really does take a village.

Spouses are wonderful gifts, but sometimes, a parent needs their best friend. Motherhood isn’t meant to traverse alone. It’s not meant to be lived in isolation. It requires you to cleave to those who love and support you. It’s messy and it’s hard and it’s wonderful and it’s bonkers—and it’s meant to be shared.