‘Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.’
– Ryunosuke Satoro
As an only child, I've learned to navigate life fairly independently. I long ago learned to enjoy my own company, fill time with my own thoughts and hobbies and if I'm honest, I'll admit that without 'alone time' I can get pretty cranky. I enjoy silence, hours of it, and prefer it over white noise or music or tv. Some might call me a loner compared to their own extrovert personality. While I am more of an introvert in larger groups, I'm quite the extrovert - in my own company ;)
I got the idea for this blog story when I was doing a little decorating recently, switching my Americana decor for my summer, nautical accessories. We have a staircase wall in the living room that normally houses some family photos. As I sat one evening watching tv, I caught a glimpse of that wall and thought some photos from our trips to the New England coast might look nice for a change. I sat at the computer going through photos - I have a few - and decided to edit a bunch to a monochromatic theme and build a little photo collage. It was a tough process, narrowing down the collection. Luckily I already had several frames, all the same color - I'd painted them to match years ago. Once I'd edited them all, I had them printed and began the process (with John's help) of placing them on the wall. These are the photos that made the cut:
Each of these photos, I believe, would hold their own on display. Each of them holds special memories for me, reminding me of special times and favorite destinations we return to time and time again. And while each looks good on their own, they look better together. When the collage was complete and I was admiring the end result, I was reminded that while we can and often do manage to function independently, we really do better together. In fact, most of us thrive when together. Heck, that's how God intended it. He said, "It is not good for man to be alone", so he created Eve to be with him, to be his companion in life.
At this tumultuous time when there seems to be so much chaos and dissention all around us, when we're pulled apart by opposing political views and overbooked schedules, it might be a good time to remember that at the end of the day, we all need each other. Even if we can 'survive' alone, we are better together - supporting each other, rooting for each other, and loving each other - despite our differences. We don't need to be an island in the middle of an ocean, or a lone photo on the wall. We can, and should be, surrounded by the people who help make us better, who pick us up when we fall and who cheer us on throughout our journey. That's what makes the tough times easier and makes celebrating life's triumphs more joyous. A sailor needs navigational tools to find his way in the big blue sea and we need the wisdom, support and love of people around us to navigate this thing called LIFE. Let this collage be a reminder that at the end of the day, introvert, extrovert, only child or big family kid.....life was not meant to be lived alone. We all ARE better together.
‘Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.’
– George Eliot
