Keeping
Connected
“Community
is a place where connections felt in our hearts make themselves known in the
bonds between people, and where the tuggings and pullings on those bonds keep
opening our hearts.”
Parker
J. Palmer
I live
in a neighborhood that has seen many people come and go in the thirty years I’ve
been here. When I first came, my neighbors were mostly retired folks and very
few young people. I was one of a handful with children, as were my across-the-street
neighbors, Stan and Marcia. I had two sons and they had two daughters, all
around the same age. We forged a bond early on simply by virtue of proximity
and children. We shared a garden until the work became too much. Now, thirty
years later, our children have grown up and moved out, and we are the retired
folks in the neighborhood. Other people come and go; some stay longer than
others, and now there are many young families with babies and toddlers who
stroll and jog and walk their dogs. It’s a good, busy, ever changing
neighborhood. Stan and Marcia are my mainstays. Even though we don’t talk or
see each other every day, we know we’re here. We’re solid community.
During
this time of social isolation, most of us are feeling the strain of being
confined to home. This is when social networks mean the most; when they aren’t
taken for granted or overlooked. This is when we wake up to the fact of our
interrelatedness, our need for community. We can’t meet for dinner yet, or go to
a movie, but we can text, and call, and video chat with one another. And we
should do all these things—not because they’re cool to do, but because we need that
human connection.
Businesses
are beginning to open here and, as predicted, the instance of coronavirus infection
has gone up. Every one of us is chomping at the bit to reconnect in person, to
get back to a normal social life. We have a hard time when we see others
ignoring the guidelines, and the temptation to do so is great. But, just a I
wrote about yesterday, this is a "can't go forward, can't go backward" moment. Defying the guidelines might not harm us, but it may harm
others. So, here we are, on the “edge of creation.” (Sue Monk Kidd)
If you
enjoy a challenge, this is your moment. Create some ways to stay connected
with your community, your peeps, while maintaining the distance. Not because it’s
fun—none of us likes it—but because it’s necessary. We are all weary and impatient
with this time of isolation, but we’ve got to keep at it for a while longer.
When the time comes to yank off our masks, and hug and kiss our friends, we
will appreciate them more than ever. They are our grounding, our tether to the
earth, our community. We want to keep them safe and healthy.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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