And by community, I mean our personal community. A network of those who love, support, nourish, and uplift us. Our people, our friends, our family, our network. I recall the first time that I felt a lacking of my community; I had moved across the country to the state of Washington at 19 years old, and I remember the moment when I sat down to think about what was lacking in my fresh new life. I realized that it was my people. My people then consisted of family, childhood friends, classmates, coworkers, and church people. I decided that I needed to replace that void and began to seek out a new "community." Alas, I was not successful in doing so. I was unable to succeed because leaving a place did not eliminate those people from my community. Rather, I was able to add to it (and my life) as I went along.
I have since found that while we need to maintain smaller groups of people and friends in our day-to-day lives, I have also been creating a worldwide community, and am finding that that is a beautiful thing. To have friends to see, and open invitations to stay with people all over the world, is such a comforting thing! When things go wrong, or a day isn't so hot, I have someone who I can turn to or call. It's beautiful, and amazing. Don't underestimate the power of being a friend, and being the first to reach out to new friends. You won't be let down.
Peace and love on this rainy day! ♥