We belong not just to those who share our homes or communities, but also to the vast network of souls who are with us in memory, who shape who we are, who light our way forward.
Who are you in community with although they are no longer among the living?
“I didn’t belong as a kid, and that always bothered me. If only I’d known that one day my differentness would be an asset, then my early life would have been much easier.”
―Bette Midler
How has something that made you not belong turned out to be an asset?
Sure, it’s great when you’re with your peeps and everything is rosy and everyone is all smiles. But, you know, you don’t have to grin. You don’t have to like being at the center of the huddle. You could step off for a little time by yourself and still belong.
What helps you stay connected with yourself when you’re in a big group?
The simplest things can make us feel grounded and connected—a hand on the shoulder, a favorite song, the smell of cinnamon, eye contact from someone who looks at us and really sees us. A touch, a smell, and we come back into ourselves and the moment.
What small things help to ground and connect you?
Many of us center our sense of self, of belonging, in our homes and families. But not everyone has a home and not everyone has a family. Which means, perhaps, that some people must learn to belong to what is either very small or very large.
What has helped you feel connected in times of estrangement?
