Do you have a particular community that you call your own? Maybe you have more than one – like a sports team, a book group, an exercise club, a sewing circle, a hiking group and so on. Human beings are absolutely made for community – as are other animals of the earth, birds of the air, fish of the sea, as well as all the little creatures in-between (bugs, that is!).
Much of the time a person’s first community is the family they’re born into. That’s where we learn the initial “rules of the road” for the society we live in. Sometime during the early years of life, a person will branch out into the greater world around them and find their place with others in community.
There are also times when we shy away from community. Some people isolate themselves when they are ill, sad, afraid, or depressed. This situation is particularly true when we are grieving a loss such as the end of a relationship or the death of a loved one. There’s quite a bit of misinformation about grief floating around in our world. For example, telling another person, “I know how you feel” is actually a pretty offensive statement since you simply don’t. Maybe you want to know how they feel in which case you could say, “I’m sorry for your loss. What’s your favorite memory of the time you shared together?” Establishing a community of people who have similar experiences is the reason Stepping Stones shelter exists and why people thrive who join it.
When times of sorrow and grief come to us, and they will come to all of us, a community is vital. I’ve been blessed to be part of more than one “Good Grief Group” during these times. It seems sort of counterintuitive to gather with a group of people to express our feelings of loss. The truth is that powerful healing takes place when people come together in small groups of people to share their experiences of grief or abuse. Because our culture wants most people to be “over it” in about two weeks, we need to find the company of other grievers to feel safe and welcome to share that we are not over it! Hospitals, health care professionals and hospices (just to name a few) can help you find a grief group when you’re ready.
Remember – supportive community is supposed to bring out the best in you. Whether it’s your grief group or a book club, you feel good about yourself when you leave. You are not alone and hope is ahead of you in supportive community fellowship.
Recent Comments