Making Connections in a Small, Big World
This past weekend was the Washington County Artists Studio Tour. I really must thank my dear husband Keith and two wonderful friends Kim and Ellen for helping me, taking care of all the sales and anything that needed to be done. You guys are the BEST! How blessed I am to have such great friends!
For those of you who stopped by my studio, THANK YOU! I loved having you come! What a great time connecting we had! Such a good time, in fact, that we didn't have time to stop and take photos. I realized at the end of Sunday, that not one photo was taken of people. At first I felt sad, but then remembered how "in the moment" we were and how encouraged I was because of the conversations with people. Usually I'm kind of shy and get a little nervous about talking to a lot of people etc. But this time was different. There were some deep and meaningful exchanges with people, laughter, and fun. It made the work of getting ready, even with my healing foot, all worth it. I felt God's favor and am grateful for the success on many levels, for friendship, connections, art sales, meeting new neighbors, and encouragement.
Next month marks the third year anniversary of this blog. I'm kind of amazed I've been writing once or twice a week for three years. When I started I didn't know if I had much to say, and I wasn't sure of the impact or relevance social media had on my life or the lives of others. Three years ago I went to a "web presence" seminar at our local Cultural Arts Center. When the teacher said that blogging was about being a part of a community and building relationships, I said, "Well, I want that!" He advised me to go home and follow Blogger's instructions. I was skeptical, but found I could actually do it (so anyone can).
Yesterday Keith and I connected with a friend from high school we hadn't seen in at least 30 years. We had a sweet and meaningful time sharing deeply. We hadn't stayed in contact over the years and he now lives in Europe. When he emailed us, asking if we could get together. I wondered, "Why us?", so I asked him. He said one of the reasons was when he read my blog, he saw that we have gone through a shift and he wanted to find out more. I find that interesting, and it encourages me to keep on writing the blog.
With social media like Facebook, blogging etc. it is easy to find people. It's also harder to connect with everyone I would like to personally. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by it and even need to take a break, but other times, like yesterday at lunch, I am just thankful that our paths have crossed in this journey of life. And I feel more at home in this small, big world.
