Day 161: The Power of Connection

I’m now going into the seventh week of working from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and I miss human interaction with those outside my family. Most of my days are spent with my kids and wife, and our connections with non-family members are mostly through the phone and Zoom conference calls. We also spend time talking with our neighbors, but I miss some of the little things: Calling a friend up and making plans to have lunch or dinner together, for example.

“No man is an island” is a famous quote by John Donne.

We are social people and our connections with others are critical to how we interact and interact with the world. Zooms can be great for working with people from all over the world, but the power of connection is not to be understated.

To hug someone you love, hold their hand, or simply to talk with them and be close to them is so sorely missed during the pandemic we’re living through.

I never thought that I would see a day where I dropped groceries off to my mom, but we stood ten feet apart so that we practice social distancing. Last Sunday, my mother took the packages I left on her steps, brought them inside, and then talked to me with a mask on. I stood in the rain, and we chatted for a while.

The challenges we live through may be varied as we struggle to get through our day-to-day challenges.

But it’s how we rise to these challenges that are critical. No matter if we’re dealing with overcoming our alcoholic or dysfunctional upbringing or a pandemic, one thing is clear: We need each other.

People need people.

Need some evidence of this? Check out episode 5 of John Krasinski’s Some Good News.

Tears came to my eyes in seeing how many people sacrificed their time and money to help provide food for the needy.

No matter if we’re in a pandemic or all is going well in life; I’m trying to remember the importance of making connections with others.

What about you? Who can you reach out to today and share a smile?


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