We had a super fun, impromptu sleepover at a friend’s house this past weekend. There were three of us girls, with our kids, who had gone over for a dinner get-together. We all decided, as time ticked by and the kids were still running full steam, that it was better just to put the kids to bed there and let the adults hang a little while longer…or all night.

It was past midnight by the time all the kids were actually asleep. They played musical beds for at least an hour and there were several instances of moms switching rooms to try and coerce other’s children to sleep.

My son was the last of all the kids to finally fall asleep, and I’m sure it was well past one in the morning when it finally happened. And we were both on the floor in sleeping bags, laying head to head and sharing a pillow. But we were cozy and we got a few hours of sleep before he was the first one, wide awake, at seven a.m.

I witnessed a lot of amazing things happen among the children and the mothers this particular evening. They say ‘it takes a village’ and truly that’s what this evening was to me. My village, all caring collectively for our little bunch of kiddos. It was magical in that we all have such superb trust in one another to be able to care for one another’s children in this manner. But it is also incredible in the fact that we have all been friends since we were teenagers, and we have remained this close.

One particular event that resonated most with me was when my one girlfriend was trying to get our young boys settled in for the night. Her younger son who is only one, awoke from the pack-n-play, most likely from the two others hopping from bed to sleeping bag and back again. I walked over, picked him up, and rocked him back to sleep. She was way too grateful for this simple act, and I had to explain to her, this is what we do. This group of people, my village, we help each other…with advice, with kids, with life. It’s why I love them all so very much.

And truly, rocking that sweet boy to sleep was the highlight of my evening.