CONNECTEDNESS. Is it a word? It seems a little awkward to the fingers on the keyboard, and strange to the eyes, but I feel a strong attraction in my heart. What is this thing we share with Phil and each other?
Some years ago I took the Clifton Strengths test at work, one of those things they ask you to do and then have a session to tell you how to understand the results, like MBTI or Learning Styles assessments. With this one I learned that out of some 34 different Strengths a person can display, Connectedness was my strongest. And I was fine with that as I already saw connections of all kinds in my life.
The one sentence definition of the Connectedness strength is that one tends to recognize and use the connectedness of all their lessons learned and relationships to guide their path – to walk their journey. And isn’t that a warm reminder of why you are reading Phil’s blog? And why Phil walks the Camino? And why we in the Caminoheads community share in each victory? We are connected by events, lessons learned and relationships more than connected by stuff. Though the corn is stuff, and it is important to Phil and the rest of us.
As this idea came to me, I asked myself how can I walk along with Phil and the Caminoheads community when we are thousands of miles away living along the Camino? Even if there were no pandemic situation, most of us are unable to press our feet into the moist ground on Vashon Island, but that doesn’t stop us from employing our connection with Phil. It doesn’t reduce the thrill of looking forward to his words each day, to add his uphill parts to our prayer of asking and his victories to our prayer of gratitude. We are connected in a very special way around respect for that Saint James guy and the spirit of all those over the years that have entered the pilgrimage journey.
I encourage you right now to plant a seed of Connectedness in your mind to recall all the blessings you received and provided delivery of because of our Caminoheads community. And then maybe share that blessing as a connection happens today. The possibilities are many but some that have come up for me include meeting friends who are on the cancer journey, walkers in general, veteran or soon-to-be pilgrims, or those rejoicing in the season changes that bring us displays of Creation’s color, form and fragrance.
Enjoy what might be an increased awareness of just how connected we are, and what a blessing that is …
And finally, I’ll share with you another connectedness characteristic that I enjoy – and we might all be missing this year: Hugging. I use the term #HTL: Hug Too Long. Just a little longer than usual, to really get a needed, memorable connection with another earthling.
In #HTL Love,
Ronaldo, Caminoheads Spain Bureau Chief
Wonderful, Ronaldo.Thank you
#HTL!
¡De nada, Steve-O!
Dear Ronaldo,
You know how to write and touch my heart every single time, as Phil does.
Conectedness is definitely a word. And if not because of this gift and at the same time opportunity, we human beings have, of “being a part of”, is that we thrive. We can survive with shelter and food, we we wouldn’t thrive. We wouldn’t be humans without a community to which (more than “where”) we belong.
In my own life, “blood connections” have made me survive and grow, but it has been my “clay” connections which have made me thrive. The “clay” connections are these other people with whom I share my humanity, my walking on this earth, and specially my walking as a pilgrim. This neighborhood of Caminoheads has gathered a lot of us, and we have been great at togethernessing because we share this connectness, so we indeed know what you are talking about.
In this realm is that we heal together… there is not a cure for everything, as we sadly well know, but there is healing, and healing happens only if there is connectness (as the scientists I wrote about last week exposed).
And I cannot be more grateful for being part of this community, and share my life with you all.
Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of love to you and Ann.
Cris
Ups! should read “We can survive with shelter and food, *but* we wouldn’t thrive.”
Thank you Cris. That blood and clay distinction is a good way to put it. While I certainly value the genetic contribution of my family lines it seems to me that the time others spent nurturing me has great value- and in my case it was done by hundreds of people outside that biological family.
And I hope to return the favor, leaving some value for those I find walking beside me.
Thank you for all your contributions to the Caminoheads community,
#HTL,
Ron