Nurturing each other

Everyone at the beginning of life has at least one person that nurtures them. Someone to change diapers, bathe, feed and cuddle them in their little baby state.

We grow out of being babies, but we don't grow out of needing other people to love and care for us. We do grow into loving and caring for other people, if we grow up healthy. We all need nurturing and caring, both of ourselves and each other.

What does it mean to nurture each other? Who's job is it? I think it's everyone's job. It's often shuffled off into the concept of "women's work", the nurturing jobs. Mother, teacher, nurse. Nurturing itself is often seen as a "woman's job". It's also seen as not important, a lesser job that needs doing when everything more important is done.

Nurturing is of prime importance. And caring for each other as we nurture each other is of prime importance. It's a hard job and a thankless one, because when it is done correctly, it is invisible. The baby is happy and fed, the dinner is ready, the spouse is coddled. Everything is done. It is only when things are not done that nurturing is seen: the screaming child, the screaming spouse, the pain of rejection. Then there is anger, because things aren't done, and no one is cared for.

We need to care for each other. We need to celebrate nurturing and treat it with the respect and value it deserves. Without it, we are all lost. With it, we are all loved and cared for.

Questions:
Who do you nurture? How?
Who nurtures you? How?
How do you value those that nurture you? Do you think it's enough?