Today I went to the village for a coffee. It was an unusual thing for me to do mid week, but it's good to shake the routine up a bit. As I walked into the coffee shop, I was telling my Dad, who was with me, how much I enjoyed living in Canada. I was explaining how integrated I felt and how genuinely happy I was to be living in this country. I really feel very at ease both in the local community and in the local culture. Canadians really want people to enjoy their country and their way of life. It's like they were always waiting for us to arrive and be part of them.
As I was mid sentence, the guy in front of me turned round and said "Hi there". It was the local vicar, who incidentally rides a Vespa. He is such a great guy. We met him maybe twice in our 2.5 yrs here, but he is so friendly and warm, you can't help wishing you were more religious.
We chatted for a while about this and that and even how I could help out with structuring his staff at the church, well why not I thought. A bit of voluntary consultancy to God, seems like a good use of my time.
Anyway back to the coffee shop. The vicar and I were mid flow, when up popped another friendly face. It was one of my daughters, and occasionally my, ringette (*) teacher. She has such great energy, you can't help but like her.
We exchanged a few sentences, then finally my Dad and I sat down, for our quick morning coffee.
This I realized, was why I love this place. Evidence in motion. It is a small and friendly community. It is still big enough to go underground and be anonymous for a while should you so wish, yet if you want company or good human interaction, just go out of your door and you shall find it.
It is good to belong.
I think I am finding this increasingly important.
I believe my next phase of life will be all about belonging. I will be deliberately doing things to belong to something bigger than me.
I have begun to realize that I want to be in an environment where people care and people matter. An environment where everyone's well being is important to all within.
Somehow this sense of belonging never used to matter. Somehow this now matters more than anything else.
Anyone else having this feeling? Is this an age thing, a stage of life thing? Has anyone also felt like this and has now got any tips on how to belong more?
Let me know. I am curious.
Note (*) Ringette is a Canadian sport. In short, it is ice hockey for girls with a ring not a puck, and thus a straight stick!
Happy for you that the Village is providing this for you.....and showing you what is important to you.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe you should stay here forever?
Lauren
PS-You will see I shamelessly stole and idea from a blog you wrote on your bday...hope that is ok?
ReplyDeleteRemember copying is the highest form of flattery:)))
I don't know which it is for sure - a stage of life or a movement of the planets - and maybe it is a little of both, but it certainly seems to have become more important to me as well. Fo me it is a function of being less concerned about who I am - or even who other people are - and more in the space between us, how we relate. It is the relationships between things that in the end define them - not just the relationship between people but between us and the space around us. Without a relationship the living becomes meaningless - it is not where you go but how you interact with where you go that is important. Have you ever been to a place or seen a film or read a book twice - once it was great and the next time not so good (or sometimes it is much better second time around). You and the place/thing are the same but somehow the relationship has changed.... and the relationship is best developed by the exercise of respect, empathy and compassion leading to love - very easy for me to say but so much more difficult to live by.
ReplyDelete