We really weren’t sure who was coming to dinner. The guests had been invited. The ingredients were all lined up. The cooking had just begun as the guests began to arrive. The guests knew us but did not know each other.
As we cooked, each guest, at some point, filtered into the kitchen to help. Others set the table and others lit candles and poured the wine. By the time the meal was ready everyone had participated and felt their contribution to the food and feast. As we sat down together and enjoyed the meal the sharing of stories unfolded. We found ourselves close to tears from laughter as the stories built on one another. A group of strangers softened with laughter to find community among a new group of friends. Connecting with others takes courage and can be awkward.
Today our technology and “social” media has brought us together in one way and yet has left so many feeling isolated and lonely. Over this same weekend four other friends, who live in other places, expressed to me an intense feeling of being all alone.
When we look at the practice of yoga much of it is about postures and breathing. But it’s also about coming together and connecting as a community. Whether it’s preparing and sharing a meal or gathering for a yoga practice these moments of connection can be profound and beautiful. We have so much more in common than we realize. We innately know that sharing our lives enriches each other and helps us better understand ourselves. When we connect, new layers of appreciation for the struggles and joys of the human condition emerge.
As our guests prepared to leave and were bidding farewell the next dinner plans were unfolding. Paella and sour beer. Gumbo and cheesecake, more laughs and connections for the future. We had sown new seeds of community and friendship.
Reaching out to really connect takes courage but is so worth the risk. So often we come together with the same traditions during the holiday season, with the same people we feel obligated to be with, and mindlessly go through traditions that have lost their meaning. Shake it up this year. Invite a different group to come together to share a meal, go for a walk or practice yoga. See if you can really connect and build community in a new way.
Let us know how it goes.
Be well,
Alice Dommert
deliver me wellness
alice@delivermewellness.com
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