This is day one of meeting my sister, Amber, in New York City. She’s attending a conference, and I’m being a tourist. When she told me she’d be here, I immediately wanted to meet her. I hadn’t been to New York for years, and there is so much to see that I had not yet gotten to. But just meeting Amber at JFK was fun. We had a hard time explaining to each other where we were, so we both ended up walking all over several terminals—and then we ran into each other and just started laughing. 

Last night, our first night in NYC, we found ourselves walking the opposite way from what our GPS was indicating. Each of us was trying to convince the other to go in a different direction based on what “seemed” right, before we eventually correctly interpreted the GPS directions and made it to our destination. It was so much fun.

In this month’s feature article, The Power of Community: Finding a Path to Meaningful Connection, Thais Harris explains that the point of a tribe is “to surround ourselves with supportive individuals that uplift us and provide a sense of belonging.” I know not everyone has family as part of their tribe. I am grateful that I do.

I also understand that when you’re far away from your tribe—your family, your close friends—it can be difficult to have regular connections with other people. That’s why finding a local tribe is important too. The article has suggestions on how to develop those connections where you are.

Wishing you deep connection this August. Go find your tribe.

Shannon