A Simple Path – To an Unexpected Connection
“To touch the soul of another human being is to walk on holy ground.” ~ Stephen Covey
Eight people met for the first time this past Saturday night. A few minutes before 7 p.m. no one knew what to expect, but by the end of the evening eight people had made an unexpected connection.
It wasn’t fate that made this unexpected connection; it was the power of the human spirit.
Three years ago Mary Beth had brain surgery to repair a Chiari Malformation which is a rare defect that results in brain tissue extending into the spinal canal. Without surgery, my wife’s physical symptoms would have continued deteriorating. While life-threatening, the surgery gave Mary Beth her life back.
Since her surgery, my wife has found other Chiari survivors on Facebook. It encourages Mary Beth to connect with people, who understand the pain, and the fear, she once faced. The connection makes my wife feel like she’s not alone.
After sharing online, the group decided it was time to share in person. We volunteered our house and then waited to see what would happen next.
Like most people, our get- togethers are with folks we know. It was odd walking through the grocery store and not knowing what to buy. Mary Beth played it safe. She selected food that wasn’t too gourmet, or too dull. I also kept it safe by grabbing a 12-pack of Bud Light for the gentlemen. My wife settled on making a pitcher of sangria for the ladies. We bought soft drinks too, just in case.
When the doorbell rang at 7, we were ready to welcome our guests.
After introductions, the conversation shifted to questions like, “What were your first symptoms?” “Who was your doctor?” “How do you feel now?”
As each person shared their answers, it was clear the group was feeling at ease. There was no grandstanding, no judging and no bragging. I witnessed eight people being honest, genuine and vulnerable. And just as inspiring, I witnessed eight people creating a bond stronger than the enemy they have been fighting.
Sometimes the simple path to an unexpected connection is made when we find the courage to reveal our most painful struggles because we trust it’s safe to do so.
The evening ended with the group wanting to meet on a regular basis. Emails were exchanged and coffee meet-ups were arranged. I got the sense the momentum would continue.
Last Saturday night was a reminder that the human spirit is alive and well. The human spirit calls us to work together, to listen and to provide care. The human spirit gives us the confidence to keep moving forward, no matter how hard life pushes back. It allows eight strangers to come together and then be called friends a few moments later.
The human spirit provides unexpected connections that remind us we never have to face our enemies alone.
What is A Simple Path?
This post is in A Simple Path, a twice-weekly series of short pieces inspired by my own life experiences. Each post is a simple path to experiencing something wonderful: maybe seeing life from a different perspective, or celebrating its beauty. Click here to read all posts in the series.
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- A Simple Path – To Staying Strong
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- A Simple Path – To What Makes You Stronger
- Discovering the Unexpected
- A Simple Path – To Serving Others
Comments
17 Responses to “A Simple Path – To an Unexpected Connection”
What do you think?
Alex, you and Mary Beth are such beautiful, brave, and compassionate souls. Praise be about Mary Beth’s surgical success! Praise be about you guys sharing and touching others in such postive ways. Don’t you find that this carries on the healing within yourselves, also? Love the quote you started this post with! I have walked on Holy Ground while reading this post. Don’t you seem my footprints?
Alex….
What a touching, personal post. And a reminder that people do want to connect…when there is trust, desire, and compassion….
Thank you. It is ending my day with a feeling of gratefulness. Warmly, Fran
Hi Alex,
The Human Spirit is strong…..it’s a great resource to call upon when the going gets tough. Thankyou for the reveal & the sharing of your story.
be good to yourself
David
Rose, the healing absolutely continues in all aspects of our lives. And, yes, you have beautiful footsteps Rose; thanks for gracing this post with them.
Thanks so much for visiting Fran and for your kind words.
David, you are always welcome my friend.
Alex, what a touching story about your wife. So glad she’s doing well now, and you never know just how her surgery and condition might affect one of those people in the group. Who knows when they might go through something and remember her courage. That’s the simple path and that’s the power of connection.
WOW! Yes, the Human Spirit is alive and well. Thank you for the reminder, and thank you for this incredible story that clearly illustrates the beauty, strength, courage and power of the Human Spirit. Health and well-being are incredible blessings.
Bryan, my wife’s courage is contagious in the group. She speaks honestly about what happened, but with hope, too, that the future will be a good one.
Thank you for your powerful contribution to the human spirit Aileen.
Hi Alex,
What a heartwarming story! I’m so glad to hear that your wife is doing well.
I love this line – “Sometimes the simple path to an unexpected connection is made when we find the courage to reveal our most painful struggles because we trust it’s safe to do so.” You could not have said it better.
When we reach out and share with those who have walked the same path we have, we are no longer alone, but are surrounded by those that will be the rock that keeps us going. Thanks for sharing – beautiful!
Cathy,well said. It’s helpful to have a few rocks to hold onto when things get tough. I appreciate your kind words.
What a beautiful story! It’s when we open up and allow ourselves to be vulnerable and tell our own stories that we truly connect with others. And this is a wonderful example.
Paige, it really can happen like that. This gives me faith the world is not jading all of us!
What a wonderful story. First of all, of course, because your wife is doing so well. But your point was not that but rather the resulting connection. We connect over so many things in our lives. Sometimes we connect through what is fun and enjoyable, like a hobby or a sport. But our deepest connections often grow out of the fertile soil of our dark places, places where we were afraid, or hurt, or grieving. The places that break our spirits open with courage, where we recognize others who share what at the time might have felt like such an isolating experience. What an inspiring story. Thanks to you and your wife for sharing it.
Galen, you are so right. Mary Beth’s dark place has provided some much wonderful light. We are stronger, and more faithful because of it.
This is so beautiful, thank you for sharing! When we open through vulnerability, we are sharing directly from our heart..we are sharing love..a very powerful place to connect from; a wonderful foundation for anything we wish to build.
Joy, love is a wonderful foundation – thanks for sharing a part of your foundation!
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