“Community is the most important aspect of one’s life” – Linda Witte
How did I get to this idea of writing about community…well, I sat down to write a post about my amazing trip to Fort Myers, (which by the way was amazing) but my heart just wasn’t in it at all? I kept focusing on our little **community of travelers and the little tidbits of arguments and things that went wrong during the trip. I just couldn’t focus on the amazing parts of the trip. I began dwelling on the idea that I may have ruined the entire trip for everyone by saying this or doing that and I obsessing.
**What is your definition of a community?
As the human mind will do, my mind wandered to the fact that In less than a month, I turn the big “60”! Turning sixty is such a hard concept for me to grasp. I reflect on the fact that if I live another twenty years, I will be lucky. In twenty years, I will be eighty years old…and I then I started to realize…sixty years have already passed and I may only have a few more left to live. I thought…who has made the most impact on my life and have I made an impact on anyone else’s life?
Wandering a bit more, my mind started thinking of my family and friends and how this community of mine has grown and changed over the past sixty years. I realized how my community of family and friends are so very, very important to me mentally and physically. I came to the conclusion that when my community is at its strongest I am the most content and when my community is at its weakest I am the most depressed. Then my mind went back to the trip and I realized I was obsessing because I was afraid of losing these people that I love and need in my community.
We all need to be part of a community to feel needed and loved.
The fact is, that in my life, I have not always been the best wife, mother, mother-in-law, daughter, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, or friend. Many times I have been selfish and I couldn’t always see the beauty in these relationships. I have made mistakes and I have asked for forgiveness and found that true forgiveness is in forgiving yourself.
Mistakes happen, own up to them and move on to build a stronger community.
Yet, as I get older, I am becoming more and more aware and more and more grateful for the beauty in each and every one of my relationships. Whether the relationship was long-term or short-term, good or bad, whether it was family or a friend, or a mere acquaintance, Each and every relationship I have had has been important to me. It is through each of these relationships, I have become who I am today.
Community is built stronger through gratitude.
As I turn the big, “60”, I am letting go of all my grievances and forgiving myself and those that have wronged me in the past. I am asking for forgiveness for all my mistakes and if I have wronged you in any way and I hope I can be forgiven. In life we all make mistakes…it is how we learn, grow, and change. Forgiveness is the medicine that heals our hearts and makes us stronger.
I am grateful for all of my family and friends. Today, I vow to create a stronger community of relationships by calling, texting, and reaching out just to say, hi, or I love you, or I miss you. I want to laugh with you in the best of times and stick by you in the worst of times. I want to become your best vision of me…I am not perfect, you are not perfect, but we can grow into a strong community through love and acceptance.
Who are the most important people in your community?
How do you let them know their importance to you?
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This is such a painful subject and so brave of you to write about it. I constantly blame myself for not being a good mom for example, as I always feel tired and try to run away from noise. I am not sure if I will regret about it later but this is the only way I have found to keep myself sane.
No regrets. We need to be able to do for ourselves what is best for us to stay healthy mentally and physically.