Gratitude for Community
I firmly believe we need to live in, and lean in to our communities to survive, and to thrive. We are hard-wired for connection. Building community is a natural outlet for being connected.
The easy part of building community comes in the easy times, the routine times, the happy times, or the celebratory social gatherings. Birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, sporting events, book clubs, trips to the gym, service gatherings, or school functions. I believe some of the most meaningful ways to build community come during the harder times. Accidents, doctor or hospital visits, illnesses, surgeries, or even those routine times when you miss an appointment, make a mistake, or need to change a plan. The times you have to be vulnerable by asking for help or forgiveness, by trusting others to know who you are in life, not just in that moment, or by accepting help when it's offered.
My community deepened this past week through one of those hard times. My sister-in-law called me a week ago letting me know that her 21-year-old niece had been in a horrific accident and had been life flighted to Flagstaff Medical Center where she was in the ICU. She knew I had a community of friends in Flagstaff as I graduated from Northern Arizona University and taught at NAU for nearly 3 years so asked if my friends could pitch in and help out by visiting her niece. I immediately reached out asking for help. Within a day my sister-in-law's niece had a regular visitor, one of my friends who works at the hospital, the out of state family was getting regular updates on her progress, the girl's mom was given a guest house to stay in near the hospital by one of my husband's relatives who I'm friends with, and the mom was being shuttled around town picking up what was needed.
Community building. My niece-in-law gained a surrogate mom having spent hours and late nights with my friend at her bedside. My friend gained an 'adopted' daughter and extended family. Families and friends pitched in supporting behind the scenes for those who were on the front lines. The community building is layers deep. We are all connected and the gratitude is flowing. The great news is that my sweetheart of a niece-in-law will make a full recovery, albeit long and arduous. She's grown her community in a hard and meaningful way. She will continue to lean in and grow her community as she starts the rehab phase of of her recovery.
The girl's mom called me yesterday and today thanking me for mobilizing support. She said they couldn't have made it this week without the outpouring of support, help, care, and time. She said I had the most amazing friends. Beautiful, strong women. Yes, I do. I let her know to please also thank her sister because that is where it all started.
One person reaching out, being vulnerable, and asking for help.
I am proud of and honored by my community near and far, new and old.
And, I am grateful beyond words or measure.