I've been a hermit for years...

The pandemic hit and we all went inside. Away from larger gatherings for the most part. Does this sound familiar?

With our travels, our roles as caregivers and our careers (yes my guy got a job and went back to work), we really chose to stay away from people. We had become self declared hermits. This year has been a real eye opener. First the wedding of our daughter, which was a beautiful intimate affair of less than 40 people. There still was an implied social distancing to some degree. While there all I really did was dance with my two young granddaughters and kept them entertained with gifts hourly. Weeks later my high school reunion. WOW!!! What an eyeopener. Suddenly (by choice) we were packed like sardines in a pub with 75 people coming from varying distances in Canada. I must have hugged 30 or 40 of them.

However I never did any real socializing, no conversations

There were a small handful of people at my reunion I did talk with but given how many were there my social skills were pretty sad. Then the next weekend an old friend asked us over for a bonfire. My husband opted out for a number of reasons. I did go.

As I sat in a full blown conversation with a dear friend, I suddenly realized I was talking with someone. Really having an in depth conversation. In fact I burst into tears because it felt so so good. My startled friend hugged me. She has been seeing these friends all along but for me it was an entirely out of the box experience.

It was wonderful

Then a huge spark burst from the bonfire. I made a comment and across the fire someone else made a comment that was similar. My interest was peaked. What followed was an hour long exchange around "there's more out there". I was in awe... I had found my people among my people. Here were old friends I have known by choice, for decades. Some as many as 30 years, others a mere 15 years. But this was a true coming together with some of them as who I truly am. It felt magical to be able to speak from the heart the things that I feel to be true. To be heard. So to were they... heard. For some time now they had been asking questions only to be shut down. Thankfully they never gave up. The timing was right. The stars aligned. And here we were having the type of conversation, in person, that warms my heart. It gives me hope for the next gathering whatever it looks like. I see The Incredible U