I treasure the groups I have, and still do, belong to. In many circumstances it is easy to feel alone, isolated, lost. But for just a little effort of leaving your comfy arm chair and stepping out into a new place you can find long lasting friendships, a feeling of being 'normal', encouragement, fun, new learnings, compassion, help, guidance, advice and so much more.
When I was a new young mother I took myself to the local Mother and Baby group. I lived in an isolated spot where there were no footpaths and I didn't know the people in the few houses nearby. I had to walk along the very busy main road to get to the pavement to even post a letter and walk so much further to find life in the Post Office or local store. But no-one spoke to me on a personal level and I felt very alone with my little one. So when I went to the Mother and Baby group and two other mums started chatting to me it felt really comforting. We probably compared our off-springs progress in growth and activity, then got to know each other better over the following weeks, went on trips to the park together, babysat for each other and became firm friends that has lasted nearly forty years!
Then I belonged to a local Childminder's group, being a founder member of the Association in our town. They were a lovely group of women all caring for other people's children and having a common bond. Again I have a life long friendship with the parent's of one of the children I 'minded' and was thrilled when the adult man I had loved as a child reconnected with me on a visit to a friend's house.
Friendships have been formed through work, college, places I have lived but mostly through belonging to a group. Craft Group and Writer's Group are what I am into now. They are small groups but we have fun and laugh a lot and create cards and pieces of written work that we share with each other. We talk the talk - each group has a language of its own with terminology that doesn't interest others outside of the circle of friends. One of these friends goes to a Singing group in her own town and tells me how uplifting it is.
Alone we are only one person, we may believe we are not of much use to our community, we may be battling with mental health or serious illness or caring for an elderly person. But joining a group be it for pleasure, support or education, there comes with it a benefit. It gives us a medicine not prescribed on the national health - happiness, purpose, a sense of belonging, support, encouragement. These are invaluable and worth seeking out.
You may have read my blogs about the Group of Holidaymakers I met in Skyros. We formed such a close knit group for two weeks, being there for the common factor of wanting change in our lives. We underwent personal development, attended our various courses, ate, swam, drank and enjoyed the sunshine together. Saying goodbye at the end was very hard, we had become like a close knit family. However, many of us have kept in touch by way of various mediums. Such was our reward for leaving our comfort zones for the unknown, a bonus that was not indicated in the brochure when booking.
I recently went to an Authors & Bloggers Meet Up and felt instantly part of a new group that is taking me into a new phase of my life. Connections are made and no matter how close or far away these people live from me there is a sense of belonging, a sense of 'I know what you are going through', an excitement of following in some 'already published' author's footsteps, a buzz about meeting someone whose book you have read.
The road of life is richer for having people in it along the way who love the things you love - animals, music, artwork, gardening, books, sewing, knitting, photography, golf, cycling etc etc etc. There are groups for anything and everything. Don't be shy, don't let that damning little voice tell you - you are not good enough. Feel the fear and do it anyway. Go to a club, a meeting, a group. You will be surprised at how welcome 'belonging' can make you feel and how life enhancing it will be.
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