In our house, I’m beyond blessed—my husband cooks all the meals. Today was no exception. I came home from work to find him prepping dinner… with just a few extra mouths to feed.
I knew at least one of our son’s friends was over. Turns out there were two. Then another showed up as I walked in. Two more arrived shortly after. My husband had planned to cook five pork chops—not nearly enough for the eight of us.
Thankfully, one friend doesn’t like pork chops, and her dad delivered Panda Express to our house (lol). We pulled together leftover taco fixings for the rest. Somehow, it worked. In a whirlwind, the kids devoured their food and rushed off to a movie, leaving a few grateful “thank yous” in their wake.
Then it got quiet.
And in that rare silence, I found myself reflecting. I’ve been pondering my purpose a lot lately—part of the reason I started this blog. Over the past few weeks, my husband and I have realized that maybe this is our purpose right now: to offer a safe space to these almost-adults who seem to find their way to our doorstep regularly.
Many come from what society might label “non-traditional” homes—though honestly, what is traditional anymore? Divorced parents. Lost parents. Only one of our son’s friends has parents who are still married, besides us.
One of our core values is family. During the COVID years—five years ago now—so many families were pulled apart. Ours, by contrast, grew closer. We leaned into togetherness at just the right time, during those critical preteen and teen years. But I know not everyone experienced that.
Divorce is common, and many families remain strong despite it. Kids grow up just fine in all kinds of home environments. I don’t mean to imply otherwise. But I can only speak from my own experience.
My mom gave me a stable, loving childhood. Even so, there are things I still wrestle with as an adult. She and I were mostly on our own—her family was 1,000 miles away. Thankfully, my dad’s side stepped in to offer emotional support. That mattered. That made a difference.
And maybe that’s what we’re trying to do now—be the support. Not just for our kids, but for their friends. We want them to feel welcome, seen, and safe. To be fed, physically and emotionally. To have somewhere to land when life gets overwhelming.
Maybe it’s not “parenting” in the traditional sense. But maybe it’s exactly what these kids need.