Shena Cox and her husband Kevin have known as a number of main cities within the South residence. Shena was born and raised in New Orleans, they usually each attended faculty in Baton Rouge (Louisiana State College and Southern College of Baton Rouge respectively) earlier than transferring to Memphis.
However now that they’re calling Houston residence, they’re farther away from the village they spent their life constructing pre-kids.
“I’d say totally different phases of life change the tribe, too,” Shena says. “In the event that they didn’t have kids… we simply sort of drifted aside.”
Between their respective careers—Shena is a full-time realtor and web site director for Ladies Golf Houston and Kevin is a mission supervisor who builds Targets of their area—and their 6-year-old daughter Kay’s junior golf schedule, life could be fairly hectic. (Klair, who simply turned 2 in November, retains the household fairly busy, too.)
They don’t get a lot relaxation on the weekends which embody artwork courses, Spanish tutoring (each women are in Spanish immersion colleges), piano classes, and golf observe.
“You by no means know what will occur from everyday,” Shena says. “Emergencies come up and that you must have no less than one or two factors of contact outdoors of your instant household the place you’ll be able to name somebody and belief them along with your children.”
Being so removed from her household in New Orleans, Shena realized rapidly the significance of being artistic and open by way of whom she thought-about part of her village.
“If you begin having these conversations and give it some thought, extra individuals come to thoughts that might not be who you’d think about off the highest of your head, however technically are a part of your tribe as a result of they’ve helped or given you some sort of enlightenment in different areas of your life,” Shena says.
Shena’s Village
Kevin Cox
He brings group to our every day schedules and lives. He’s a really structured individual, which is an attribute of his that I love and profit from as a result of it relieves us of numerous chaos that would in any other case happen. I assume it’s the mission supervisor in him. From packing the ladies’ lunches, to creating positive their faculty uniforms are out for the week, he provides a lot help that permits me to compensate for work calls and conferences. He works 100% distant, so him being out there at residence helps a lot.
We don’t have nannies or au pairs, so there isn’t any manner we’d achieve success with finishing up these duties with out each other. (And on prime of that, he’s additionally a agency believer in making certain that we make time for ourselves, to go on dates, and so on.)
Paula “Gigi” Osborne
Shena’s mother
Though [she doesn’t live] right here, she’s right here fairly usually—no less than two, thrice out of the month.
When it got here to this point nights, we’d simply plan round at any time when my mother can be visiting.
Date evening occurs when Gigi is visiting. We’re so on the go that more often than not when Gigi’s right here, we’re like, “Let’s chill, watch one thing on Netflix, and take a nap. Let’s compensate for sleep.”
I’m grateful for Gigi to be right here so Mommy can get some sleep, Daddy can get some sleep, so we will each recharge. That’s one of the best sort of date.
Samantha Bocage
She’s my cousin that lives right here in Houston. She has twin women which are in center faculty. We grew up on the identical road in New Orleans. She went to LSU and might be the explanation I went to varsity. She’s my confidante. After I had Kay, she was on the hospital being an enormous cousin and a nurse.
Anytime we’ve date nights and issues like that, she can be the one which I’d entrust with them.
Danielle and Edward “EJ” Delone
We met by way of our husbands. Our husbands are fraternity brothers and really went to high school in the identical state faculty. Now we have children which are the identical age, usually a month or two aside. I rely closely on them both if it’s a woman’s evening out with Danielle or principally assembly up for playdates for our children and ourselves.
Donielle Edwards
One in every of my perfect pals resides in Dallas. She’s the godmom of each of my women and I’m the godmother to her daughter.
Anytime something is happening, I don’t even should count on her to be there, she reveals up. It doesn’t matter what occurs, she is at all times enthusiastic about me and my women. If [Kay has] a match, she’s there. She’s graduating from kindergarten, she’s there. Any milestone, birthday for each of my women, she’s there. And vice versa.
Blood couldn’t make us any thicker. She is my sister from one other mister. We truly went to the identical junior highschool in New Orleans, went to LSU collectively, and now we’re in Texas—dIfferent elements of Texas, however that doesn’t sluggish us down with seeing one another, speaking to one another, and sort of simply choosing up the place we final left with each other.
Rachel Semien
After I had my youngest, I had simply dropped off my oldest at college. I used to be truly going to the hospital to have my pre check-in, as a result of I used to be having a cesarean. I’m like, “I’ll choose up my daughter at college at 3.” I’m simply doing my check-in, I’m not imagined to ship for one more couple days.
Nicely, my husband [is] with me on the hospital, and I’m truly having contractions as I’m there. The principle factor I’m enthusiastic about is, No no no, no, I’m not having this child right now. I’ve to select up my little one from faculty!
Lo and behold, I had a buddy [Rachel] who I used to be capable of name. Her son goes to the identical faculty as my daughter and I constructed a relationship together with her that if something ever occurred, we’d be the purpose of contact [for each other’s kids].
So I known as her and she or he was like, “No matter you want.”
She picked up my daughter, introduced her to the hospital, and stored her for a little bit bit.
Xenia Garrett
She’s one in all my greatest native mother pals. Xenia can also be from New Orleans, however we didn’t meet till LSU. We each reside in Houston. I used to be the matron of honor in her marriage ceremony and she or he was a bridesmaid in mine.
She is extraordinarily artful. They want a shirt for no matter event at college and we’re not capable of finding a shirt or get it shipped in time, I can at all times rely on Xenia, like, “Hey, the ladies want a shirt, are you able to make it?”
But in addition, I’d belief her wholeheartedly if there was something final minute the place I wanted a babysitter or something. She can be a go-to as properly, she and her husband Sheldon. They’ve twin boys and the ladies are like, “Oh, my cousins,” though we’re not technically associated.
Dr. Rixney Reed
I’ve recognized Rixney for over 20 years. We additionally attended the identical junior excessive and highschool. I’ll be in her marriage ceremony Could 2022; she was additionally a bridesmaid in mine. She’s a pediatrician and is like an aunt to my women. She resides in Dallas with my different greatest buddy, Donielle.
I name her with any medical questions concerning my women. Three weeks in the past, each of my women had a fever. Klair’s fever was larger than something she ever had; it acquired as much as 102, 103. We’re freaking out, however fortunately one in all my closest pals is a pediatrician.
Any sort of illness or any fever questions I’ve, she’s my go to. Or in the event that they’re having a rash, I’ll ship her an image and she or he’ll assist me determine it.
Ciji Mitchell
Now we have women which are the identical age. I imagine we met when our women have been in dance years in the past. Again then, we weren’t as shut as we are actually. Now we’re at all times speaking, updating one another on what’s occurring. Her daughter simply began with my daughter’s golf coach. Though we don’t see one another loads, it’s cool that our friendship and bond grew stronger by way of social media.
Black Junior Golf
My oldest daughter is a junior golfer. She had her first lesson July 2020. She was 5, and she or he was the Tour champion for the Ladies 8 and below. I knew by the third lesson; we had one thing. At 6 years outdated, she’s properly on her strategy to turning into an elite junior golfer.
I don’t play golf. My husband performs golf leisurely. The junior golf world, it’s an entire different area; having an elite junior golfer who’s in first grade, we’re nonetheless ensuring she’s not burnt out and drained. So I’d take a look at the opposite mothers, different dad and mom which have walked this journey earlier than us, [to give] us the ins and outs of what to anticipate and what to do. Particularly Black dad and mom which have their children in junior golf. There’s even an enormous platform on Fb, Black Junior Golf.
Instagram Associates
I’ve made some lasting connections to different mother influencers. You are feeling [like] you’ve recognized [them] for years and also you haven’t met them in individual as soon as, however you realize them on a private stage since you related simply from various things I’d put up and vice versa.
It’s loopy how a hashtag can deliver mothers or pals collectively and construct a tribe simply from social media. You construct this neighborhood socially on the net the place you’ll be able to inquire and share the thrill of motherhood and even sort of share frustration generally.
Jessica Jones (@KKJ_JTN_)
We’ve by no means met in individual—she lives in Orlando—and I actually speak to her virtually every day, both by way of social media or textual content. She has two women, identical ages as mine. Her oldest can also be a golf phenom. Something coping with golf, we’re the go-to individuals for each other.
Erika Piggee (@Erikapiggee)
Erika lives in Dallas now, however after I went to LSU with each her and her husband, we weren’t shut. Virtually 10-12 years after faculty, we related based mostly on social media and mutual pals. I used to be a magnificence blogger, and she or he was a magnificence blogger. She was fairly massive within the influencing world. I used to learn her blogs usually.
Thanks for introducing us to your village, Shena! Take a look at this hyperlink to see as extra mothers share their village with us in partnership with buybuy BABY.
