How are you doing? Reach out for others and yourself

How are you doing?  When I was young, my mom and dad would take me to the Episcopal church at the bottom of the hill from our house.  I would have to put on a dress and fancy shoes that always felt stiff to me and go stand with people and listen to the man at the front.  At one point in the whole thing, the man would tell us all to greet each other and we would say hello to each other and offer "God Bless You" to everyone around you.  I was pretty small and here were all these strange adults shaking my hand but they were kind and friendly. The point was fellowship, being seen and seeing each other.  The creation of a community, fellowship; the time of acknowledgment of each other.

I lived for 25 years in the country on 20 acres (more and less) and I knew all of my neighbors and they knew me.  When I moved to the city, I reached out to all of my neighbors and tried to get to know them.  They all were suprised that I would do that but to me, that was how I started my life.  COVID changed all that. When we were in our world wide lock down, everyone was out taking walks and I was in my yard gardening.  I actually got to meet so many of my neighbors.  In lockdown, we were all seeing each other.

We haven't been in a lockdown like that for a while, and my husband and I sold our house and moved back to the country and I have been getting to know my neighbors again.  It's winter, and there is COVID, and I am wondering; how many of you have reached out to check on each other?  Who have you seen and who has seen you?  When was the last time someone reached out to you?  This is a time of great isolation but it doesn't have to be.  It's time to phone a friend, email someone you aren't geographically near and just say, HI.

Winter is harder on all of us, the days are shorter and colder, and we are shuttered away huddling over our heaters.  It is easy for the days to slip by without reaching out.  It doesn't just help others, it helps ourselves.  Make a call.  What do you have to loose?  Sit down to day and make a phone tree, a list of people you used to enjoy.  Commit to calling one of them a day and ask, "How are you doing?"  Facebook is out there but it is never going to be the same as an actual conversation where you are "seeing someone" and being seen.

I am doing good by the way, Oh! there is the phone.  Have a good day.