The Philly Village – Straight Up Sisterhood
Some people and places just leave you with little to no words.
Philly was just that for me.
Here I am on this last minute trip to celebrate and honor my father (The Benjamin Wright Experience), and I said, “There is no way I can get away with coming to Philly and not see my sisters.” So I put out the APB aka Instagram Post, that asked the village to help me find a venue, chef, photographer and videographer.
I had initially struggled with securing a venue that accommodated families. Yet thankfully my cousin Jamil Baldwin had all the connects and he introduced me to the great Austin Hendrix. Meeting him was completely ancestor sent! Not only did he have the perfect venue, the Logan Library, because he holds music programs there, he became one of the highlights to my trip as he opened up his home to me and the girls and created safe space to just be… be me and be supported. I miss him and his vibe so much already… sigh.
Moving on to the Meet & Greet. The day before Friday, Oct. 19, 2018, I announced that the meet-up would be at Logan Library. Here it is when I think of a library, I’m thinking this place looks like a beautiful, open space with love, catered brick and big bright happy windows. You know what happy windows are, quit fronting.
Not only was this library located in North Philly, it didn’t look happy. When I pulled up, I said “oh no.” Like said oh no out loud to my mom and my babies. But when I walked in!!! *does Hallelujah Dance, The angels started singing. The library had just undergone a complete renovation. It was absolutely modern, new, super clean and extremely spacious. Fred, who was over the community events at the library, had assigned a downstairs room for the village and it couldn’t have been more perfect. The staff there were extremely friendly and they brought down all kinds of toys and books for the kids.
As I walked in, there were already a few mamas there. Instant smiles and hugs connected us and an infectious vibe of comfort and openness filled the room. The children all played so well together and as more mamas joined our safe space, we shared, laughed, talked real shit and took dope pictures. You couldn’t tell us that we weren’t all BFFS!
When we gathered in a circle to do a Q&A, I was able to share bits of my story and offer advice. One of the most memorable moments for me, outside of sniffing newborn babies and holding them, was when a mama, chose me to hold space for her as she told the sisters that she felt so robbed of her perfect birth. With tears in her eyes, fighting a wail of release, she said she had so much pain and anger about her c-section because she did everything right and it shouldn’t have happened that way. The trauma… she remembers it all, as she was literally shaking on that hospital bed. I brought my chair closer to hers, held her baby and just told her that her pain is valid. Yet with that experience there is a lesson and she is in the perfect place to be a force to be reckoned with.
However as we rushed to leave the venue and I was forced to separate from her, I realized I didn’t really have the words to comfort her…and that I didn’t know how to. When we hurried to do the group photo, as Fred was saying he had to close the library up, other sisters came to her and hugged her and said “me too. I had a c-section too” And it was in that moment, I knew that her support was gonna come from mamas who knew that specific pain. Who can connect to her through shared trauma. And then it hit me again, on the drive home on how I would have liked to respond to her, best support her in that moment.
I would’ve loved to stand her up and have all the mamas hug and reach out to her… And I would’ve spoke aloud and called upon the Most High, the universe and the ancestors for peace and understanding. I wanted to say a powerful prayer and with all us mamas gathered together, we would’ve all cried! Just had a circle of powerful women releasing pain, anger, frustration, anxiety. Demanding our healing as we stood in support of one another… as we held each other up! I envisioned us in that circle of vulnerability, a strong, vibrational, earth-rocking shift, that would’ve changed us all. Fortunately, this mama came into a live that night and I was able to share with her my thoughts on how I responded to her and she said she felt seen and supported and comforted. I was grateful for that space we shared. I think of her often and I want her to know she is so damn freaking amazing!
That night, I gifted everyone tickets to see my dad the next day at the Kimmell Center. That night all the mamas shared with me how that was so needed and they loved it. That night, I said to myself they have no idea how much I needed them too. I felt seen, I felt supported. That day, we all held space for each other and I closed my eyes and remembered, we are so provided for.
Here are some pictures of our just a small percentage of our Philly village. May they always feel seen, loved and cared for. I sure as heck love them!
Thank you Light Lens Photography for your gift and your presence. Video coming soon from Andre Stewart/
Be sure to credit them if you share the photos. 🙂
Full Gallery on FB Here!
