Connect

I'm finally returning to my (mostly) daily writing. I've been interrupted with a series of events, which have given me lots of time to think, and hopefully some of those thoughts will translate to this blog.

Today's post is about relationships - not the romantic kind, but more about general friendly and familial relationships we develop throughout our lives. Let me start, however, by talking about death. When someone in our life dies, we all have different ways of dealing with it. A very close member of my family passed away recently, and I had my share of tears, public and private. The emotional and physical exhaustion of grief can become too much, however. Though I am still saddened by the void in my life, I turn to the more pragmatic side of me to mourn my grandmother and honor her life. I have been reflecting on what I have learned from this person who helped raise me? How has she made my life better, and how can I use the same methods to make other people's lives better?

Love. That's what Gigi was really good at. She never missed an opportunity to start a friendship with someone she met along the way. It didn't matter what circumstance brought you into her life - if you were her florist, a Baroness who lived down the road, an in-law new to the family, an overworked CEO she met at a party, a realtor showing the house next door, a stubborn grandkid - she made time for you. She put aside her busyness, masked her physical pain, and brought a disarming smile to every conversation so that you could feel comfortable and loved while you were with her.

I used to be a lot like her in this way. I remember as a kid being full of affection for others, walking up to strangers and saying, "hey, how ya doin?" I know exactly where this openness came from. Yet, somewhere along the way, with work, life, school, stress, insecurity, I lost a lot of that. I suspect I'm not alone here. It's easy for us to get bogged down in ourselves, and forget that we are surrounded by people all yearning (though they may not admit it) for the same thing we are - a connection.

Some people reading this are going to have a cynic's view - "I have enough friends already." Others are going to say, "yeah I'm totally with you - I'll start next week." Well, I just don't believe the cynic, and I don't know if next week will even come. So, connect today, right now. Literally, go on facebook, or pick up the phone and contact someone you normally wouldn't. If it doesn't somehow make you or them smile, then let me know and I'll change that.