Keeping in Touch
Image: Scott Ymker| Unsplash
Although the countryside might be covered in a blanket of fluffy white snow which can do a lot to lift our spirits, often mid-January days can feel long and gloomy. On the horizon lies February, sometimes referred to as tunnel month because we think that we are under-ground and spring will never arrive. We can feel alone and lonely, longing for friendship and support. This is the moment to remember the importance of keeping in touch with our broader community.
We humans are social beings who thrive best in loving, nurturing families and support systems. In fact, many animals live in community. Horses and cattle live in herds, birds in flocks, whales in pods and fish in schools etc. They depend on each other for safety and survival.
On the human level, keeping in touch with each other is vital, especially during Canada’s long winters and recently imposed pandemic restrictions. Think for a moment about the solace you receive from connecting with friends, family, and coworkers. Ask any student what they miss about school and the reply is always the same, “I miss my friends”.
Image: Unsplash/Sixteen Miles Out
Keeping in touch doesn’t need to be arduous, it just means taking time to reach out to someone. Sending a friend a short email, sometimes accompanied by a thoughtful or hilarious attachment. Have a brief phone chat with a neighbor. This can be more uplifting than a long, drawn-out conversation. Try your hand at writing a note to a shut-in. Although it’s a disappearing art, we still know the thrill of finding a friendly letter in the mailbox. A friend and I have sustained our friendship through 25 years of pen-and-paper communication.
Going for a walk with a loved one is uplifting; sharing lunch or afternoon tea, can keep the blues at bay. Today, renew your good intentions to keep in touch with others and watch the clouds disappear!
-Sister Jean Moylan, csj
Title Image: Unsplash: benjamin lehman