Yearning for Connection

Lessons In Being Human; No.1

There’s almost nothing more critical to our existence, tied to our being, immersed in our feelings, as the need to feel connected - the desire of being wanted or missed, maybe even sought after, the knowledge and affirmation that were something bad to happen, you wouldn’t be alone. 

The hope of being understood, that our thoughts and our feelings, fleeting, ephemeral, and without physical form, reach out past our self-contained vessels of individuality, cross the void of emotional uncertainty, touch, sway, move, inspire, and impact somebody else…

We desire each other, we require one another, we prefer to be together, and we expect nothing other than for it to last forever. 

One of the hardest parts of being connected is the need to reconcile our differences, not with each other, but more with ourselves. Not everyone is like us, even those we consider like us. 

Our need for connection has us finding similarities that may not be there, exploring qualities we think we all share, ignoring the things that prevent us from showing each other that we care. Acceptance, humility, perspective, change, all things we embrace when we long for someone else to embrace. 

We hate being lonely. We surround ourselves with people, find something in them that’s meaningful and hold on for dear life. And why not? If life has taught us anything, it has taught us that life is finite. Our lives flicker and shine bright, and so we must fight for every ounce of companionship. 

Our lovers, our families, our friends, even those who pretend to have your best interest at heart… It’s a start, we think. Because deeply rooted and at the brink of our consciousness is that belief that all people are worthy of tenderness and love. And above all else we are all human, all flawed.

We are built to support a cause, we live for each applause, and we rarely take pause when faced with insurmountable odds. We lift each other up, and sometimes tear each other down, but we do it together. We cheer each other on, we push each other far, we’re constantly raising the bars and expect someone, anyone to exceed them. We walk in each other’s footsteps, we walk hand in hand, history constantly repeats itself and our stories span that history as far back as memory can. 

We don’t accept resistance to our dreams. 
We form teams to increase our chance of winning.
But no matter the outcome the world keeps spinning. 
The one constant is us. 
The one constant is trust, in one another, and in ourselves. 
The connection we hold so dear, that fear of losing it. 
That’s what makes us human.