"The key to building a true belonging practice is maintaining our belief in inextricable human connection."
In these 31 Days of October I am unpacking my learning from the book, Braving The Wilderness, by Brené Brown. She has been a favorite author for years. In this new publication she manages to build a sidewalk and curb in the wilderness where we can bravely tread.
Do you like being in a crowd of strangers? What if you are sharing an event that brings people together? What about a concert, wedding, or even a funeral. Do the strangers there have a temporary connection with you?
Some time ago I attended a funeral for a young father who was killed in a car accident wih his infant daughter. I was his teacher as a teenager. It broke my heart. I don't do well at funerals but I went with a prayer that I would find a good reason for my being there. Strangers from his new life, friends and family from the wife, left tragically behind, we all greeted each other, clinging to each others hands to both give and receive comfort. I learned that a group can hold grief, that they can hold it for the family so that it is bearable for a time. It was an important lesson for me.
"When our belief that there's something greater than us, something rooted in love and compassion breaks then we are more likely to retreat to our bunkers, to hate from afar, to tolerate, to bullshit, to dehumanize others, and ironically, to stay out of the wilderness."
The wilderness is filled with unease, but we must go, and it is better with others.
I love your example of how you, and others, were able to stand with the family in their grief and carry some of it for them. We definitely need each other as we journey through the wilderness.
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