On a recent family trip to Haiti I was reminded of the importance of community. As my family and I unpacked our bags in a quaint cottage on a hill in Freres, our hosts—my in-laws’ family—realized we needed a few things to make our stay more comfortable. They conferred in Creole and disappeared. We took our kids to the pool and when we got back to the cottage, we found we had stand-up fans to keep us cool, clean towels, mosquito nets and a fridge filled with cold drinks and healthy snacks.
All our neighbors were related to the family in some way, and during our two-week stay our three kids roamed freely from one house to another, being fed, taken care of and watched over. We all felt safe and supported.
There is great comfort in knowing you belong to a community. Such community may be the neighborhood you live in, or the online hubs where you spend much of your time. One person can achieve great things, but the supportive nurturing of a community that cares about you is empowering to both the individual and to the group at large. We can draw from each other’s strengths, make up for our weaknesses, sharpen our dreams, or dream up new ones we never thought of. It’s a win-win for all.
That’s why I’m so excited to announce our collaboration with Cosmo Latina, which we start today by featuring their fun and timely article “5 Summer Hair Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making“. This marks the beginning of a weekly exchange of content, made more extensive by our Mamiverse Food channel. Online partnership is key to accomplishing our goal to empower women by supporting one another.
Read related: Fear, Relief and Protecting our Children
We’ve also just launched our Follow Friday Blogger Roundup, where we will regularly share articles by other news and blogging sites, as well as accomplishments and news of our own fabulous contributors. In order to be as good as we can be, we must learn from the brilliant work of those around us. We truly believe that inspiration is everywhere. Our rounding up pieces that inspire us is our way of hoping they also inspire you.
I shared in my first column as Editor-in-Chief that I believe in Latinas supporting Latinas, and how I’m adamant about making Mamiverse something bigger than the sum of its parts. That’s why we are opening our doors to guest bloggers, offering our content to other sites, and finding new ways to collaborate online. Leading by example is the only way to lead, and giving without always expecting something in return is the only way to sleep well at night, knowing you did the right thing.
It feels good to be a part of something bigger than myself; an idea that represents a collective sisterhood and support system. The Mamiverse community is this idea put into action, and the even larger community of readers, bloggers and Latino sites that crop up every day signals the coming of a renaissance we’ll be discussing for generations.
