The throughline was a feeling of connection. Connection to the people I love. Connection to the businesses and services with which our family has built relationships.
Shine Bright: By Creating Connection to People with Purpose
If you haven’t seen the Netflix series, “A Man on the Inside” starring Ted Danson, I highly recommend it. It’s witty and charming and, at times, hits the right emotional notes—so tuck a couple tissues into your pocket, just in case. The premise is that Danson, recently widowed, gets a job working for a private investigator regarding thefts inside a senior living facility. The show deals with family relationships, the vibrancy of aging, the challenges of death, and dying. The primary theme of interest to me, however, was connection to people with purpose.
Just coming off the Thanksgiving weekend, I was struck by the amount of connection we had with people we cared about and who cared about us. Our weekend started with a Thanksgiving Eve gathering with friends and community members with whom we have affinity. This event is organized by one of our close friends and he always does an excellent job gathering us to enjoy each other’s company.
We had a beautiful Thanksgiving Day both at our own home and at the home of our closest friends. Friday, we enjoyed the day being silly with our youngest daughter who is home from college—making fun memories. Saturday, we attended the birthday party of a friend whose family is just amazing in their love and care for one another. And on Sunday, Mike and I divided and conquered the duties of running a household during the holidays and got the house transformed from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
The throughline was a feeling of connection. Connection to the people I love. Connection to the businesses and services with which our family has built relationships. It’s a wonderful reminder of why we choose to live here. It’s about the people and that connection.
While I am still basking in the joy of my weekend, I also recognize, as Danson did in the show, that people languish without connection. We are social creatures and even those of us who like a lot of alone time (guilty), we still need that sense of belonging to be well. Maintaining positive relationships and feeling connected to friends, family, and community is a huge contributor to overall health and wellbeing.
As we continue to feel grateful for the relationships in our lives and move into the gift giving season, remember the gift of your time is the most important gift of all. Check on neighbors who live alone. Reach out to a friend or family member you have not seen or spoken to in a while and plan to spend some time with them in person, over the phone, or video chat. Find ways to create connections with family and friends by gathering just for the purpose of enjoying each other’s company. Pay special attention to anyone who seems withdrawn or who may have gone through a difficult time over the past year—grief and loss, major illness, job loss, etc. These folks can become isolated quickly and may need a gentle nudge to re-engage.
Together, we can change the mental well-being of our community by leaning into connection to people with purpose. Here’s to a brighter kind of better this holiday season.
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