Friday 24 January 2014

No man is an island-the power of connection.




I did an exercise on values this week and discovered how important a value connection is to me. So perhaps its not surprisingly this week has been all about connection. I have been part of learning environments where it's notable that the deeper we connect the greater is our growth. I also witnessed a moving graduation ceremony where as individuals told their stories of the depth of their learning it was evident that their relationship with others was the key to their journey to understand themselves. The sense of loss of that connection, their formal journey having ended I could relate to and moved all who witnessed it.
Finale with all performers singing Lean on me.

The Concert for Carers was such a wonderful evening, sharing the creative talent of so many but each of the performers linked their work to the carers. Some spoke of their own journey as carers, their own tears shed as they told their personal stories. It connected us differently, no longer audience and performer, more a community enjoying the power of music and song to lift the soul. It's a unique atmosphere generally at Celtic Connections, the joy of the performers infectious in this festival during dark January days but this concert was particularly special, there is no doubt.

Yesterday again I was part of a group, forming deeper partnerships to fuel the PeoplePowered Health and Wellbeing  Project and feeling the connections made not only between agencies and their people but perhaps also with the root motivation of the work- it's all about powerful connections between people, to enable health and also wellbeing. I left feeling part of a community committed to making a difference and excited as well as inspired by our shared passion for this work.

And finally there was a deep sadness fell on our city last week when we heard of a small three year old boy who had gone missing, learning a few days later that his body had been found and a mother was charged with murder. It's hard to even write those words down. But what we also saw was a local community who joined initially to search and then finally to grieve and honour a brief life. A moving display of community connectedness that gives hope in such sad times.

Reasons to be grateful
I connect with so many inspiring and heart warming people in my work and life. And of course the blogging community I'm part of enriches my life and connects across so many parts of the world. Illness can disconnect and isolate people. Blogging I suspect has many roles but I recognise that for me I have loved that it has connected me to a wise and compassionate community who understand this particularly journey so well. Another reminder that what helps us through difficult times will always be our connection to others. 


No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thy friend's
Or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind,
And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

John Donne



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