"All you need is love."
~ John Lennon
Okay, so I'm seeing that this may not necessarily be 365 consecutive days :-) My best laid plans of writing every day have been interrupted by life events. While the gratitude practice is a daily one, I may not get to write down the inspirations that are coming through every day. I'm truly letting Spirit lead on this one, which is not my usual M.O.—being a Virgo-rising kind of gal, preferring everything to go according to schedule. It seems my Leo sun is finally coming out from behind the clouds to light the way. (Virgo-rising gal is having some issues with that, but she'll get over it!)
Today I am feeling great gratitude for community ~ the joy, comfort, solace, inspiration, sharing of collective wisdom, strength, encouragement and support that we find in the company of those with whom we share our lives. In times of sorrow or loss, in times of major life transitions when it feels as if the very foundation is pulled out from beneath us, there is comfort in sharing our story with another who understands or can simply listen with love and compassion, and in the midst of sorrow we find some peace. Some part of our soul is restored to wholeness.
Rachel Naomi Remen's wonderful book Kitchen Table Wisdom has this to say about listening: "I suspect that the most basic and powerful way to connect to another person is to listen. Just listen. Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention. And especially if it's given from the heart."
I am grateful for my dear friends, for their love, their compassion, their listening, their inspiration. Years and miles do not dim the radiance of the love in my heart for their beautiful being-ness. I am grateful for the sense of belonging to a community of friends who have so generously offered care and support all through these many years.
There are many ways to find connection in community ~ among friends, in support groups, community action groups, musical groups, dream groups, to name a few ~ and now we have the miracle of the internet to experience our connection to the world community right in our own homes. "The world is a small place anymore," as my friend John says! I am grateful for the ability to express my thoughts and send them out into the ether and touch people I know and people I may never know. We are all inter-connected. Like Indra's net...ahhh, but that's a story for another time!
In deep gratitude for the gift of community,
Joanne
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