Well, January sure has been a doozy this year! Fires in the west, blizzards in the east, sickness everywhere… and don’t even get me started on politics.
Times like these are when it becomes vital for us to support one another, but it seems like even this is tough to do in our modern world, where everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives. Family members live far apart and neighbors don’t always even know each other. The good news for you, if you’re reading this, is that you have the IDLM community to come to for support and resources. We are always here for you online at the Movement.
Finding community in the “real world” can be more of a challenge. Some of you may be lucky enough to have a good support system of family, friends, or coworkers; others might be struggling. I know there have been times in my life where I went a long time feeling like I had a decent amount of friendly acquaintances but no one close to me that I could call in a crisis. Nearly everybody goes through times like these and they are tough (and another good reason for making friends in your IDLM classes and on the Movement!). It can be hard to feel like you’re going it alone. Even when you do feel like there are people around you, it may not be easy to reach out and tell them you’re going through a hard time. They have their own lives, after all. You don’t want to be a bother.
Here’s a little story about that.
A little over a year ago, I had to move to a new city where I didn’t really know anybody. I got lucky though, and somehow fell into a group of women who were all going through their own major life changes—divorce, job loss, family trouble, health problems—you name it, somebody in our circle was dealing with it. All of us were newly in need of friends, and we found each other.
Here is how this group saved me this week: I was having a bad night, feeling alone and sorry for myself. I had seen friends earlier that day, I had plans for the rest of the week, but at that moment none of it mattered. I was caught in my grief, for whatever reason, and feeling totally hopeless. I wanted to give up on everything… what was the point?
Then I remembered that one of my friends had a medical procedure planned for the next day. Something minor, but unpleasant, and I knew she was not looking forward to it. And even though I was in the middle of a dark cloud myself, I thought, I have to make sure to check in tomorrow night, to see how it went. Suddenly the dark cloud lifted, just a little. The idea that I could help someone else through their difficult times gave me strength to push on through my own.
Sometimes community is there to support us when we’re not strong enough on our own, but sometimes community can give us strength by reminding us what we can do for others. Your community needs you as much as you need them, and there is a power in that. Thank you for adding your strength to the IDLM community.
