Collectively we are missing so many things right now, big milestones, celebrations and rituals postponed, and subtle normalcies. While I’m fortunate not to be struggling with the hardships many are facing, I’m just so aware of the absence of the interactions, connections and intimacies that make daily life so meaningful and satisfying. Our communities, formal and informal, have been disrupted and so have the relationships that help us to feel good, bounce back, walk a little taller.
Among those I’m missing are the women I regularly work out with - in the gym, outdoors, and on the tennis courts. These are my people, and even though we may trade conversation and down time for competition and grit, the connections are important, enduring and intimate. I have spent literally hundreds of hours with tennis friends who know how my day is going simply by looking at me, who know when to dig in or distract, who leverage humor and physicality when life, as it does, fails to go as we would like it to. Many of us are familiar with this camaraderie, whether we are part of a team, have a regular running or training buddy, or work out with a group. I'm grateful for these connections, for the strengths they foster, the resilience they nourish and their ability to bring a day, a perspective, or a mood back into balance. This article, by Allison Glock of ESPN, beautifully expresses how I feel about these connections and I think it will resonate for the many who are part of a community that comes together in the same kind of spirit.
Looking forward to getting back to it!