Connection

Reconnection and Disconnection

Recently I led the opening prayer at a celebration of life service for a dear friend. We connected nearly 45 years ago. Over the years the bond of friendship grew significantly. His son was born on my birthday and years later, I traveled across the country to attend his daughter’s wedding. Throughout the years we stayed connected. Sometimes circumstances conspire to keep us busy and connections like a stranded copper wire start to fray, but the power and energy of deep friendship still flow.

At the celebration of life service, I reconnected with a couple of guys from my past. We were all connected at one time. With one of those guys, I committed renewing our connection, or friendship, but with the other not so much. Lives intersect; business relationships bring people together with a common goal and change which is the natural order of life that allows for disconnection. Retirement and new priorities often create disconnect; that too is natural. It is the nature of involvement.

If we stop for just a moment and consider how many beautiful people have come into and gone out of our lives, we often find the number is astonishing. Life is a continuing unfolding, renewing process. The truth is, hard as we may try, we cannot stay connected to and involved with all these people. In fact, if we are honest, for one reason or another, we may not want to. We are each on a personal path of spiritual discovery and awakening. What joys we have shared with those whose path parallel ours. How grateful we are to those precious souls whose lives intersected with ours.

Here are two things to consider. First make connections whenever possible, and second, stay connected whenever possible. Connections are everywhere. First, we can connect in line at the grocery store, if even for a moment. A soft smile or a loving word can make big difference in the life of another person. We may never know what is happening in the life of a stranger standing right next to us. Even those who are dearest to us and who are standing with us now were once strangers to us. Remember connection is a sharing of power and energy; it is the power and energy of love. And who knows whether a momentary connection might grow and last 45 years or even a lifetime. That is the power and energy of love.

Second, stay connected or reconnect whenever possible. I remember a time in my life when I hadn’t seen my good friend for a long time. There was need to reconnect. So, I called him. I told him this simple truth. “I can always make new friends, but I cannot make old friends,” let’s meet for coffee and catch up. It turned out that although we had not seen each other for some time, the deep connection with my friend remained; it was as if no time had passed. I think that coffee just might be the great cosmic connection creator, or at least a wonderful light filled, down-to-earth reason for reconnecting. Dark roast, no room for cream if you please.

The most important connection is the personal connection to the Transcendent part of me. This is the one true source of energy, power and love that allows me to stay connected to others. And it allows me to disconnect with someone without diminishing energy, power and love when disconnection is required. In this I find peace.

There is more to say about this, but not today. In challenging times, like the loss of a dear friend, the need is always for a deeper connection with the divine and experience a form of disconnection that is infused with energy, permeated with power and steeped in love. In this there is no loss.