We Are Born To Seek Connection

The girls straddled the swings in the manner of riding ponies, facing one another, chatting while swinging lazily in unison, back-and-forth, maintaining a conversational distance.

"I live in Seattle."

"I live in Seattle too!"

They gaped at one another, sharing their mutual surprise at this extraordinary coincidence.

"I didn't always live in Seattle forever. I use to live in Philadelphia."

"I didn't always live in Seattle forever either. I used to live in California."

Their expressions reflected shared disappointment.

"But then we moved to Seattle."

"But then we moved to Seattle too!"

"Now we both live in Seattle!"

"Yeah, we both live in Seattle!"

We are born to seek connection, at every level, in every moment that we are together. As I watched the girls celebrate their amazing discovery, I found myself reflecting on how far I often find myself from this ideal of human interaction, how in life's self-important busyness, I too often treat my fellow humans as mere tools for achieving selfish ends, sometimes even avoiding connection. How sad it is that we forget to connect and how much more miraculous our lives would be if we would allow ourselves, in every interaction, to recognize that we both "live in Seattle," and simply be amazed that we, whoever we are, are riding our pony swings together in the same place at the same time, and what a wondrous thing that is.

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