I know someone who broke her tibia. I think it’s been as painful as it sounds. But from there, she had surgery and is currently in a rehab center for about a month.
Apparently, it’s the place to be.
On their own, without any staff involvement, the people in this center are setting up playdates for themselves. They’re meeting up in common areas, playing games, laughing hard, coloring — you name it.
My friend’s young grandson visited, and he asked, “Grandma, can I stay the night here tonight?”
She said no. That’s not allowed, unfortunately.
But even the youths want to be in the rehab center where all the friendship happens.
I share this simply to say that we are social beings. Like sunflowers that grow in the direction of the sun, we really need each other. And it’s pretty clear that these kinds of connections — this growing toward one another — can happen in just about any setting.
I don’t want anyone to break their tibia to have this experience, but I’m amazed at how community forms, how we can find each other, and how we can invite each other in if we open ourselves to it.
—Renee Roederer
*Story shared with permission
Smuggling Grace 