Bubble of Belonging

Part of the draw of attending this out-of-town event hosted by my faith community is the friends and familiar faces I will see in the next two days. Susan and I catch each other’s eye, and she comes my way. We went to college together eons ago and have grown closer in the years since. I wind through pews to meet her, and we embrace. I whisper encouragement in her ear. Our hug lasts a good long time. Then we turn toward Melissa, the friend with whom I carpooled. I begin to introduce them but remember they met on their own at summer events I did not attend in the past few years. This trio breathes in the beauty of the worship space we share.

I hold Susan’s hand. She smiles. She looks at Melissa and then back at me and says, This is my Julie. Melissa smiles wider and takes hold of my other hand. She laughs and echoes Susan. I’m her Julie, too.

Their affection warms my heart and that goodness radiates throughout my whole being. The emotional tank I’ve been lugging around has sprung a leak lately. It seems the kind words poured in drips right out and the tank requires more frequent refueling. In this brief interaction, the tank is filling back up.