• I didn't realize how true the saying, "It takes a village," was until I had kids. • We don't live near family, but I spent time intentionally building my village. • While I have plenty of friends and people who come through for me, it's not the same as family.

Almost as soon as I became pregnant with my first child, I started hearing a familiar refrain. "It takes a village," co-workers and friends told me repeatedly. I had no idea what raising a child entailed, so I smiled and nodded in response, not realizing how much their words would ring true years later.

At the same time, my parents warned me that having children without family nearby would be difficult, that there was no substitute for family. Yet, my husband and I were confident we could raise our children in Washington, DC,

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