Followers and subscribers may have noticed that for the first time, there was no newsletter this week, and I missed a Friday blog. The reason for this is that I did something I haven’t done in over a decade, and that’s take a vacation. I was invited to a very special family event, and it was great to connect with family members, friends, and people I’ve heard of or talked to over the internet or on the phone but never actually met in person. It was a very fulfilling experience.
Considering that the last couple of my podcast episodes were very dour and pessimistic, I briefly mentioned in the previous episode the importance of finding your tribe and keeping them close. And this trip has driven that home. For all the division and negativity that exists now, for all the anxiety and fear, all of those things are very real, and we do need to prepare for them.
However, within all of that, we must also take those moments of joy. And when I say ‘find your tribe,’ it may be the family you already have. It may be the people you’ve met along the way who have become like family.
As you work through finding people you can trust and having a solid support system, it’s more important than ever. And we need to cherish the moments we get to spend with those people whenever we get the chance to do that. So, I could have done another podcast episode or blog about how much stuff sucks and saving food and water, covering all the different topics that regular prepping episodes would typically discuss, along with the usual topics I usually cover. But I thought that this short episode would be a good break from that.
I had a chance to spend some time for myself, rest by the water, have a deep conversation, and make plans for what to do going forward, as we all do. I needed to take that time to reconnect with these people, with my people, just as I would suggest that now more than ever, you take the time to do the same.
Make that phone call, have those group chats, take that trip if you can – just make the most of that time. And when you do take that time, focus on that person. Don’t multitask, don’t rush through it, and don’t let yourself be distracted. Be deep, be present, and be appreciative.
If you don’t have family that you can count on, or you’re not close to them or estranged from them, and you have friends that can take that place or fill that void, appreciate that. And keep these people close, keep them in your heart, and nurture those relationships.
Every bit of contact makes a difference. So as we navigate whatever’s going to happen next, and every day it seems to be five to ten other things that we need to worry about, sometimes it’s just good just to take a breather, take a break, and be grateful for the people in our lives, because these are the folks that we’re going to depend on, and that we’re going to need to get a way into this future and a way to survive it. So do keep them close, do cherish them, and spend as much time as you can with them.
Plan together, prep together, find a way to make those connections. If you have people who are across the country or around the world, that’s a network! Take advantage of those things.
Nurture those relationships, because the time will come when we can count on those folks to help us, and we can help them. And whatever apocalypse may happen, we can build new communities —solid, trustworthy communities built on trust, love, support, understanding, and patience. And, above all, whether we’re related or friends or not, it’s the overall kindness. The world could use kindness right now, because there’s so much ugliness.
So do appreciate the time that you have, appreciate the people in your life, look forward to the people that you will meet, and be grateful for the many blessings in your life. Even at its roughest, there’s always a blessing in there.
Always take a moment, take a breath, and look for the light, because it’s there.
I’ll be back on schedule starting with tomorrow’s blog; back to wrangling the preparedness issues we need to stay on top of.
But as always: Stay strong, and hang in there.
