The South African philosophy of Ubuntu shares that a person is a person through other persons, or “I am because you are.” Or further, as Archbishop Desmond Tutu describes, “I am a human because I belong. I participate.” 

Though the context around building community has shifted in the last few years, the community structure has existed in the most fundamental form since the dawn of time. If you were to walk outside and look around, I’d be willing to bet you’d find evidence of community all around you — from people and animals all the way down to microorganisms. If navigating over a year of a global pandemic taught us anything, it’s that beings need other beings to survive, if not to thrive. 

I have this deep belief that, as humans, we can learn so much about ourselves through the behavior of animals. For example, if one were to study the behaviors and patterns of elephants, one would find that, much like our own family structures, they form herds that communicate with, encourage, teach, and protect one another. Similarly, lion prides are families built of individuals who collectively work together to hunt and live. Separate a lioness from her pride, and her chances of survival drastically diminish. 

People are much the same. 

Even in the earliest civilizations, humans lived in communities moving together, hunting together, gathering together, and sharing space together. Though our day-to-day interactions are far less primitive, we still thrive in communal environments — we live together in neighborhoods; worship together in churches, synagogues, and temples; eat together, learn together, work together, the list goes on and on because the fact is, we need other people. We need to feel their presence, hear their voice, and feel their touch. We need to spend our days surrounded by love, support, possibility, and humanity. 

As women, we have infinite love to give. So often, we find ourselves in the center of it all, giving a little bit of ourselves to each person we commune with. Sometimes pouring so much into our families, homes, friendships, and work that we don’t realize our own cups are running on empty. And, as much as we hate to admit it, sometimes the people around us have come to rely on us so heavily that they don’t always see when our cups are running low either. 

That’s what hey you. is about — building a community of fulfillment, knowing that we were each made for so much more. We were made to be bold and brave, nurturing, firm but gentle, kind but persevering. We were made to explore the world around us and ignite the fire within us. And collectively creating space to share stories, celebrate successes, grieve losses, encourage, accept, listen, find ourselves, and pour into and out of each of our cups. 

Could I survive on my own – sure (if I don’t have to rely on my hunting and gathering skills). But gosh, how much more beautiful is this life of mine because of the people I have in it? Like our sister lioness, our chance of survival is so much better when we walk side by side. 

Together we are better. Together we thrive. 

I am because you are.