Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Community

I have been thinking a lot this week about community. The community of family, neighbourhood, school, work, and, of course, the community of the world we live in. Today. In 2014.

Community has always been important to me, and yet, I have often not felt a part of community. In my early work situations I often felt like the odd-woman out, as if I was swimming up-stream.

I think I found my first true community when I became involved with La Leche League in my early thirties. I was actually thirty-three, an age, I believe, is a profound age for many individuals. It was the age that Jesus was when he was crucified, and for many a pivotal point in their own biographies.

It took me many years to find my true vocation, as a Waldorf teacher, and to find my true community within the school where I taught, and the waldorf education movement in general.

I now have found community within a knitting group, and I am beginning to find community in a spinning group as well.

It has taken me well into the second half of my life (if I am blessed enough to live to one-hundred), to truly find myself in community.

It has made all the difference in my mental health.

There are still places I am striving to find true community, and sometimes it is found within the relationship of myself to only one other person. As Jesus said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

I also believe that when people gather the archangels find our meetings fascinating and come to witness the actions and interactions of the group. I keep this in mind when participating in large groups where issues may cause tension and friction between individuals.

Far be it from me to piss of archangel Michael!

And of course, you, dear reader. This social media has given me a great community that I wrote about earlier this month.

I do feel the support of this community.

We can't do it alone.

We do need the angels to help us.

We do need to feel that our presence in our family, our neighbourhood, our school, our world makes a difference.

And we need to believe that the presence of others in our community makes a difference too.

That is why I love this quote by Rudolf Steiner:

“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community the virtue of each one is living”.

And, when I look at society this way, I can see why some communities, some societies, some people have so much struggle and why there is so much unhealthy social interaction in our world.

Our world. Our community.

We can do better.

I know we can.

6 comments:

  1. This post moved things in me in a way I couldn't even express.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is so enriching being part of a community, forming connections with people. feeling a sense of belonging and feeling empowered. It certainly does make a difference.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I agree that a sense of belonging and finding one's community is profound and essential to good health.

    Following on from your previous post about blogging, and now this reflection on community, I would like to nominate you and Breathing Life for a Liebster Blog Award.

    Your thought-provoking posts contain much wisdom and honest reflection. I would like to share that with readers of my blog, Lupey Loops, where the details of the Liebster Award can be found: http://lupeyloops.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/liebster-blog-award.html

    May this message find you having a good day.
    Best wishes xx
    Jodie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thank you! and I accept. I will have to ponder the questions and my responses, but I already know the five I will nominate!

      Delete
  4. Thank you all for your supportive comments. You are all part of my community and I am the better for it.

    ReplyDelete

I look forward to reading the comments. It makes me feel like I am not just posting into the void.