Hello Hatters,
I had a great day. Anyone who works with me knows that if we’re on a Teams meeting, I want to see faces and I don’t care about your hair. I want to see eyes, expressions, and I want to make a connection. We’ve changed a lot with respect to our work and personal community habits. Some are good changes and some that leave a wanting. There were lots of meetings online today, but our group is making some great strides in learning. So I repeat, I had a great day.
Part of my day was the acceptance of an impromptu lunch invitation to a close friend. No matter the length of time away, we pick up as though it was yesterday’s lunch bunch from 10 years ago. We have history and shared stories. We have a bond that is tighter than the passage of time.
Another part of my great day was a brief moment shared with a complete stranger on a construction site. I have a big place in my heart for those working to improve our world and especially in our hot climate. The fellow in the excavator was covered up except for his eyes. I was at a long red light and I kept hoping he would look up long enough for me to smile and acknowledge his work. I was so glad that he did glance my way and I gave him a big thumbs up. I didn’t see his smile because he was wearing protective equipment on his head and face but he paused and waved back at me. It was a moment of connection between strangers. I hope that he felt seen.
I’ve been very conscious of that phrase lately: being seen. It is more than just the physical eyes that are involved. It takes a presence of soul and an attentive mind to see someone. It is a gift both to the person seen and the person doing the seeing. There’s a precious space in the moment.
As a writer who wears many hats just like you, I hope that people around me feel seen in the deep sense of the word. In the 2009 movie Avatar, one of my favorite lines was when Neytiri told Jake Sully, “I see you.” Jake responds, “I see you.” It was more than eye contact, it was the connection that led to belonging.
Good day, great day, bad day, it’s all okay. As long as we’re seen and as long as we see others.
MT Penny