When I was a little kid, I spent a lot of time in hospitals, because of my unusual heart. Because hospitals didn’t have the heart they have now, they did not allow my parents to spend the night with me. As a result, I was frightened and alone, during a time I especially needed to feel connected and protected.
As I’ve grown, I’ve known, intellectually, that I am not alone. But the feelings from childhood persist.
As I’m typing this post now, alone, I’m realizing that I am probably less alone, here and now, than I’ve ever been in my life because of friends, family, doctors, and connections through WordPress.
And yet, it’s so easy for all those people to vanish from my consciousness, leaving behind that old childhood “knowledge” of being alone.
Whenever I experience a hospital stay — as I did last week — those feelings of aloneness get retriggered. Like many other people, when I feel vulnerable, sick, and in unfamiliar surroundings, I can be much more aware of my aloneness than of my connectedness with others. There is something about being alone in a hospital room, listening to the sounds of machines that measure your breathing and pulse, that can bring on a stark sense of isolation.
And yet, even in the hospital, there are always moments when I KNOW I am not alone. Those moments of connectedness include my time on WordPress, every day.
Thanks to my readers, for always reminding me that I am NOT alone.
Yesterday, I felt well enough to go for a walk alone.
When I took every picture yesterday, I felt connected, even when I was alone.
Is there one picture, alone, that stands out for you, as THE image for today’s post?
Originally, I thought I was going to include one musical number, alone:
But my own photos inspired me to connect to this number
and this one:
Thanks to all those who helped me connect and feel less alone today, including you!!!