Connection

I recently returned from a couple of trips that enabled me to see and visit with family along with friends, which had been non-existent for me in the last couple of years.  First a family wedding, which is always a lot of fun and great to see a cousin of mine happily married to another great individual, all while being witnessed by those closest to them.  We laughed, hugged and my mom in particular danced so much that one of the flower girls went up to her and told her "you are killing it!"  The post drive back home across the Arizona desert made me contemplate how connected we are through our families.   As we grow older and move further away from each other among our close family members, it is refreshing that we still maintain a connection that goes back to when we were all children, buzzing about at each other's houses playing outside and laughing until our mother's told us to stop or come inside.  We may have missed the births of new children due to distance or some of the graduations because it was difficult to travel far, however, we have never lost the sense of presence that we have for each other which I am so grateful for.   Upon arriving back to my mom's home, we then prepared for and embarked on a second celebration for her birthday, which again brought more cousins that did not travel to the week's prior wedding, along with many more extended family folks.  To be able to see and speak to them, hug and laugh if only for a short period of time, made it all worthwhile.  Then as I packed up one more time and headed back to my own home, I continued to contemplate our connection to many people in this world from the time we are born until we reach our golden years.  As children I can remember the first time I went to school with a sense of nervousness as I sat in a small desk and waited to see who would end up sitting next to me.  The concept of friends when you are small is not very clear and most of us just want someone to talk to on our own level, as we begin the navigation of social interactions with new people that are not from our own households.  I remember sitting in that classroom and not wanting to say much and then came a moment at recess when you were pushed out into the playground as you joined a small group with similar interests in playing a game or going to the swing set.  When I got home, I don't recall having a conversation with my grandmother who was waiting for me about my day at school, she was more concerned about me eating something and preparing some of her home made food to keep me growing strong, as she put it in her own words in Spanish.  I also remember her warming up a tortilla and if she left it on the stove too long and it burned a bit, she would tell me that it would be good for my memory that way.  I can now laugh about all of that as our relationship went far beyond grandmother, chef and caretaking.  I then shifted my thoughts to myself as a grown adult and how my circle of people around me has changed over the years as well.  My ties to my small handful of friends when I was young, grew as a result of attending college away from home through my 20's and 30's.  As I moved away from that group due to work opportunities in other geographic areas, I had to associate with new folks in my new home as well.  The most interesting thing in traveling back and forth through time with those that I feel the most attached to, is that at my current stage of life I am most close to my high school and elementary school friends, after reconnecting with several of them in recent years.  I sometimes wonder about why we were not closer when we were younger, however, I so appreciate that we can all laugh and cheer each other on as we continue to navigate through our current stages of life.   What I always end up with is a very large amount of gratitude in my heart for having these close people in my life and most especially that I still have this group of folks who continue to be my cheerleaders and best supporters no matter what I am in the midst of doing.  My hope for all of you is that you continue to nurture your own circle of support.  When you get invited to a birthday, wedding, or other special event rather than think of an excuse of why you cannot go, make it a point to show up and be present.  You will be re-energized by the love and affection from those that care most about you and as you grow older, you will also learn to appreciate that we get less opportunities to celebrate in gatherings like this.  Enjoy the company, laughter and reminisce with those that mean the most to you and you will in-turn give new vitality and life to your circle that continues to be there for you through thick and thin.