The bond with our communities is
strong even when apart and draws us back in seamlessly when needed.
By the time we reach adulthood, many of us have had the good fortune to have at
least one community of chosen people to be our refuge. If we have moved around
or changed our life situation repeatedly, we may be lucky enough to have had
several. This relationship is often our earliest intimate personal relationship,
and it can be a source of great warmth and connection throughout our lives. The
details changes as we grow up and grow older, but the heart of it remains the
same. The warm refuge in which we feel free to be fully ourselves, to share our
deepest secrets, to rest when we are tired, to celebrate when we are happy--a
place in which we feel utterly welcome to give and receive that most precious
of all gifts, love.
Though this relationship hit bumps from time to time, one of the hallmarks is the
ability to ride out turbulence and remain intact even as it faces changes. We can
find those who manage to love us through all of our transitions, as we do the
same for them. We find ways to embrace and appreciate the differences that set
us apart and offer love and support no matter what. We allow each other to be
exactly as we are at a given moment, even as we allow each other to change over
time. In this way, we are family and we know how to stick together regardless
of where our individual paths lead.
We may be in contact with each other every day, or we may not have spoken for a
year, yet we know that our bond will be strong and immediate when we do
connect. This bond ties us together even when we are apart and draws us
blissfully back into the warm refuge of each other's company when our paths
bring us together again.
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