I live in a family neighbourhood

It’s population dense but it has many schools and daycares

It’s not hugely affluent but it’s family friendly and safe

There are no white picket fences but I count us really lucky to own a home here

The blocks went from 4 bedrooms 2 bathrooms to 2 bedrooms 1 bathroom recently

I walk past the smaller homes on my walk and through the window I glimpse families spending time together at the table

It’s small but cosy. The smell of dinner wafts from the homes. Many are multigenerational living with crowded homes.

The children gather at the park. It’s 6-7pm and I feel safe with only my small dog and baby. I can leave the trike by the front door.

No one has their head buried in their phones.

There’s no village but if I need them, my neighbours are there.

You don’t need a beach mansion or a farm stay to live the life you always dreamt of.

Especially if it means a long commute, remote lonely living or returning to work before you are ready.

Yes options are limited and we need storage and space with children - but your community can be a park not a garden. You can live with less.

Social media fools us with its hues of beige and its perfectly presented mothers.

You don’t need that to have a family. A family is the home. A home is the people in it.

That’s what the 90s front porch and ugly sofa golden age got right.

Kids weren’t perfectly dressed for social media. We all looked quite silly as children should be.

It’s okay to aspire for more, but do not envy it. All you need?

A congregation of loved ones who are present together, safe, warm and fed and who create memories even through imperfect days.

That’s all you need really - when you strip it all back. If you have that, do you know how lucky you are?

People to love you and whom you can love.

That’s what counts.