[Image credit: Evgeni Dinev]

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manor of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
~ John Donne

I need community — the group at church or Yoga, my small office, the friends I handpick or my family — a place I belong.  People who believe in and support me, the ones who provide the strength I draw upon when times are tough and who prove to be my biggest cheerleaders when life is charmed.  The older I become, the more I cannot imagine being alone for an extended period of time.  And I’m glad I don’t have to be.

What does your community look like?