Hey Muses! Happy March!
I know daylight savings is a hard transition – no one enjoys it.😴 HOWEVER, I think all of us enjoy evenings that don't get dark so early. As I'm writing this, it's 6:30 p.m. and the sun isn't close to setting. I'm basically ready for summer. I'm planning to have some fun in the backyard- first step- learning how to grill.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a dinner, where the topic we discussed was community and how we are building it for ourselves. Community has been something I've thought about and wrestled with for quite some time, especially since 2020/ at home mandates, etc. I've become more introverted since then. What has helped me is viewing community through a wellness lens – which may seem ... interesting, but let's get into it.
I'm pretty sure you've heard that you have friends for different reasons – your party friends, your work friends, your gamer friends, your couple friends, etc. Well, this is a similar concept but not friends per se. For instance, I have friends and many of them aren't located near me, but I also have communities that are supportive and around for different reasons. These folks may not be close friends, but people I can call on – some for physical needs like climbing, circus arts, tennis. Others for occupational needs, especially if I need insight on navigating a work situation. Folks to hang out with (social) and just enjoy a random outing. For Spiritual, I have my friends that I know are Christian and others I know are spiritual and we have different conversations about religion, purpose, etc. There are things I don't engage with in the spiritual realm and qualms about church and pastors I can sort through. Thinking about community through a wellness lens has helped mitigate the pressure I've put on myself regarding friendships, keeping up with them and feeling like I'm "alone" when people get busy with their own lives.
I'm wondering what community means to you and how do you define it in your life: Depending on where you are in your life, is it important to cultivate, or are you chilling?
