Beauty and Belonging
by Emily Phifer, M.S. MFT
“Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other…” Mother Teresa
Isolation and Interconnection
This past year has been a time of both isolation and connection. Both our disconnection, as well as our points of interconnection have been more pronounced due to the pandemic impacting our daily lives. In our vulnerability, some of us may have asked for and accepted help in new ways, or offered to help others in ways that made a difference and took us out of our usual comfort zone. Engaging in exchanges of humankindness can bring meaning and hope to our lives that we can’t experience in quite the same way outside of the context of community.
Survival and Belonging
Many would agree that we survived this past year, in part, by leaning on and offering back to our community in different ways. Neighbors, teachers, communities, families and friends helped to bring light, offer connection, meet practical needs, and offer hope and goodness to our lives during some very difficult, uncertain days. Local Buy Nothing groups thrived, bagged school lunches were prepared for students learning from home, and neighbors looked out for one another by sharing fruit from their trees and sourdough bread from their newfound baking bounty. There are many stories that will emerge from this time of people helping one another in beautiful, life-giving ways- our stories of survival and belonging. These stories deserve to be told and celebrated!
We Matter
As humans, the joy of giving to and receiving from one another can give us a sense of belonging, purpose and connectedness that we might not otherwise readily find. To experience that we matter to one another, as humans, is a powerful gift, indeed. Our interconnectedness reminds us that we don’t exist just unto ourselves, but that we truly need one another to survive and to thrive.
Power of Gratitude
As you reflect on the past year, consider the ways in which you experienced the power and beauty of community in action. This reflection may prompt you to reach out to thank someone- acknowledging your gratitude. I invite you to take a moment now to acknowledge this gratitude on your own, if you choose. Amidst all of the difficulty and struggle of the past year, there was beauty and belonging, too.