Feeling Connected

Feeling Connected

Someone asked me this week what I meant when I said I needed to feel connected. I am not sure I gave a very good answer at the time, so I went to the dictionary and looked up definitions of three related words connection, acknowledge, and valued. These three seems to go together when it comes to understanding connection.

1. Connected is to be brought together or into contact so that a real or notional link is established.

           Connection is a relationship in which a person, thing, or idea is linked or associated with      something else.

2. Acknowledge is to be recognized as being good or important: accepted as valid or legitimate.

3. Valued is to be considered to be important or beneficial: cherished as a valued friend.

The best example of all three shows up in our blogging community. We connect with each other. sharing our poetry, ideas, and opinions. We put it out there for the world to see and respond to. In doing so we hope to be acknowledged with likes and sometimes comments. In return we respond, building connection that is very meaningful. It is in this way that we realize the significance of our connection. We feel valued, and in some cases become cherished friends with people from all over the world and look forward to our ongoing connection. On the other hand, when there is an attempt at connection with no reciprocating response, the feeling of being valid or legitimate in their eyes is missing and the connection is lost.

Personal connection

Acknowledged and valued

Meaningful friendships

***

Thank you, my friends, for being there and sharing your thoughts and life with me!

A Senryu Poem

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

~bing definitions~