In times of disaster, we see communities pull together, as demonstrated with the Cougar helicopter crash off St. John’s, the Bathurst basketball team tragedy, and military deaths in Afghanistan.
These tragic moments bring us closer together and help us find our community.
My fiancé is from a small community south of St. John’s. Every time I visit, my heart pings with envy for the strong community in which they live.
Living in Halifax, I have found it hard, as I come from Ontario, to make those kinds of connections. But I’m not giving up. I make friends and acquaintances whenever I can because I know someday I’ll need those individuals to be there for me, just as I hope to one day be there for them.
Which brings about two questions: Where do people go to find community? And have we stopped searching for it?
A community doesn’t have to be comprised of neighbours and relatives, it can be the people with which you share a passion.
However, we have to do the hard things, too, not just the easy things. It is more important than ever to make the effort to get outside the walls of our homes and get involved with the people in our community.
Start small.
Whatever it is you decide to do, remember to share the good times as well as the bad with your community, and not only will you feel supported when you need it, it will, too.
