What Brings Us Together
"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you as you are to them." Desmond Tutu
We share our humanity by living through mutual experiences. We may hold opposing views on many matters, but there are events in life, rites of passage, that we have in common. We respond with similar emotions. When our first child or grandchild is born, we all identify with pride and elation. When we accomplish a life goal like graduating or getting our first job, self-esteem, and satisfaction fill our egos. Review the many rites of passage each person lives through, and you can easily see why we are so happy for our friends and family when these things come to pass.
Sad things happen in life, too—disappointment, failure, suffering, sickness, and, yes, death. My kitty cat Corben died this week. I felt all the grief and sorrow the death of a pet brings. We all outlive our favorite pets, so we learn how to grieve and move on. I posted Corben’s death on Facebook. I wanted everyone to know that this furry friend had great purpose and was very special. I didn’t know whether or not to make this a theme of an essay. Corben’s death is not the theme.
The theme is the community of pet lovers who reached out on the Facebook post with notes of condolence and encouragement. Every Facebook friend I ever had, reached out to me. It became clear to me that pet lovers of all persuasions shared in my sadness because they had been through it themselves. Every dear pet’s departure is a rite of passage for each owner and family. We cry and hug each other. We craft makeshift memorials. We call out their name, and they don’t come anymore. Our exceptional friend leaves a little bit of him or herself in the pet compartment of our hearts. We never forget them!
People love each other and befriend each other because of life events such as this. The strong sense of unity is bound by our “knowing,” and our “knowing” what our friend is going through. We can add joy, or relieve pain when we express our oneness with each other.
I couldn’t find a poem about “The Family of Humankind,” so I will write one. Right now!
Are you surprised that I know how you feel?
I confess that I was surprised when so many friends from near and far, and now and long ago, knew how I felt.
I was surprised when you touched my heart with a few words that said much more than you had written.
It should not have been confounding because we, all designed with body and soul, share a journey called life. We travel alone, and yet, we sustain each other as we travel together.
When you share your life with me, I feel the commonality of experience and emotion. I want you always to feel safe when you share. Thank you for respecting my life.
We are the family of humanity. We are all connected. We are the family of humankind.
“Let’s all breathe. Shall we?”
So we’ll said my Sister!