"A smile is the universal language of kindness." - William Arthur Ward
My work setting is such that I see people daily. As we do our part and don our protective facial coverings I find I'm longing for glimpses of what Abigail has shared..."Even the smallest moments of social connection". I have become acutely tuned in to my internal dialogue surrounding what's going on under the masks passing me by. I await the eyes to answer the questions yet find the opportunity passes by ever so quickly. In such an unexpectedly short period of time the desire for human connection, that energy exchange between people who are tuned in to one another, has become an internal longing. "It has the power to deepen the moment, inspire change, and build trust." In the absence of a visual smile individuals who are consciously taking action to create those simple, sweet moments of human connection are gifts beyond in measure.
Even the smallest moments of social connection I’ve had this week have been sweet. I ran into people from a distance, people I usually see at least on a weekly basis that I haven’t seen in a couple months, and what little interaction we could share was just warm and needed. I had to go to the grocery store this week (I already always dread grocery shopping, but right now I dread it even more) and when I was there I just felt this shared feeling of kindness with other strangers. And I don’t usually feel that way at the store. Though we spoke distantly and in our facemasks, this nice gentleman (a shopper) asked me how I was, and I answered him with just a knowing sigh. He nodded in agreement and smiled. It was the sweetest moment with a stranger. It actually made my very difficult week much lighter. It reminded me just a little bit how much I need human connection.
"A smile is the universal language of kindness." - William Arthur Ward
My work setting is such that I see people daily. As we do our part and don our protective facial coverings I find I'm longing for glimpses of what Abigail has shared..."Even the smallest moments of social connection". I have become acutely tuned in to my internal dialogue surrounding what's going on under the masks passing me by. I await the eyes to answer the questions yet find the opportunity passes by ever so quickly. In such an unexpectedly short period of time the desire for human connection, that energy exchange between people who are tuned in to one another, has become an internal longing. "It has the power to deepen the moment, inspire change, and build trust." In the absence of a visual smile individuals who are consciously taking action to create those simple, sweet moments of human connection are gifts beyond in measure.
Even the smallest moments of social connection I’ve had this week have been sweet. I ran into people from a distance, people I usually see at least on a weekly basis that I haven’t seen in a couple months, and what little interaction we could share was just warm and needed. I had to go to the grocery store this week (I already always dread grocery shopping, but right now I dread it even more) and when I was there I just felt this shared feeling of kindness with other strangers. And I don’t usually feel that way at the store. Though we spoke distantly and in our facemasks, this nice gentleman (a shopper) asked me how I was, and I answered him with just a knowing sigh. He nodded in agreement and smiled. It was the sweetest moment with a stranger. It actually made my very difficult week much lighter. It reminded me just a little bit how much I need human connection.
I think we are getting used to social isolation but we sure miss getting together with friends