Friday Finds: Community

In keeping with the theme of “finds” I want to tell you about what I have found since consciously walking my spiritual path: community. The ripple-effect in my life has been just stunning. Through the grace of spirit, the new community that I have added to my life has helped me to a greater appreciation of those who have been in my life for a long time. My mom, my BFF, DJ, my soul sister, Sassfire, and my wife are all the foundation of my community. They are the ones that I know will always be there no matter where my path leads. But this is not to say that I always made time to see just what blessings they have been to me. Sometimes when you get lost in yourself, you pull away a bit - and that is a major weakness I am working on.  

I’ve mentioned before that last fall I crawled out from under my antisocial-leaning fairy garden and joined a group of fellow writers from SNHU on Facebook. This is where I made my first connections. We met in Google hangouts, and I avoided the camera (and the microphone) whenever possible. I’m pretty reserved sometimes, and actually quite proud of this trait. It means that I don’t share myself with just anyone. Finally, I started to connect with Whiskey and felt comfortable with some of the others. Sage and I connected when she sought Beta-readers for her novella and I eagerly took on the task. Not long after the group broke up, but these two are now my chosen family. Lifers.

I have made five or six friends through a variety of my course since then, and I have even begun to be connected with friends of friends. I have met so many other artists and zen-masters. I have found that the connection people have when they share a passion is immense. I have been lucky enough to meet two of these lovely friends in person when we visited the campus back in the spring, and I dearly hope to meet more of them next year. Time will tell. From editing each other’s work, to crying on each other’s proverbial shoulder as we go through the journey that only scholars and writers can know, I have been so thankful for the blessing of my growing community.

My community - these beautiful folks have helped me to keep pushing. The ones who hold my hope when I think it is lost. The ones who make me feel the comfort of "home" when I feel lost. The ones who don't tell me what I want to hear, but help me to grow. It’s just nice to know that there is someone out there who both believes in you and “gets it.” In my spiritual journey I have struggled so hard to be more positive. I believe that there is a lot of power in positivity. The community that I have made here has pulled me even deeper into that pool of positivity, and the waters have just kept me afloat. I know – lots of metaphors. I can’t get enough of water metaphors. These connections have made me more hopeful and compassionate about human beings, and even inspired me to rekindle some past relationships.

So, to all of you - I hope you know who you are - I honor you and thank you for being in my life and for walking along my path with me.  

Peace and Love

~Summer


Photo Credits: Me