Community
a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
I am fortunate to be part of a few communities. And even more fortunate to have seen these communities come together and do great things.
Like it or not, there is a community in my workplace.
My church is a community.
My circle of friends is my community.
The circle of bloggers that I am part of is a community.
My social network is a community.
And each of these communities certainly cures any chance of loneliness.
How did I come to know my group of irreplaceable friends? My tribe? My Ohana?
I don't know. It just... happened. I can tell you the story of how I met my husband. I can tell you where I met people or how - at church, through Indy Moms, in community theatre and so on.
But the way my tribe became mine is simply by people proving themselves. People showing their true colors and still being beautiful. People seeing mine and still thinking I was beautiful. At times when I could be facing loneliness, these are the people who step beside me so I don't walk alone.
It's the shared interests that brought us together. But it's the memories we create that keep us together.
I sometimes hear of women who don't feel like they have friends. And it breaks my heart. I can't imagine our lives without our community. There are people in our lives that help me to see the beauty in my children. People who help me maintain my patience when I'm facing a difficult parenting challenge. People who patiently take me clothes shopping when I really hate to go. People who want to be locked away in a cabin in the woods for a few days each year. People who want to sing and worship and praise alongside me. People who support my marriage, my faith, my career, my fun.
So maybe I can't tell you a great story of how I met each part of my community. But I can tell you what they each mean to me and what my community as a whole means to me. And I think that's what really matters.
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