A sense of belonging

All of us belong to a family. You may have a small family or a large one. Maybe your family doesn’t have close relationships, or maybe most of the members of your family have passed on or live far away. Still, you belong to a family of relatives.

I have a lot of relatives in my family, but most of them live far away from here. For this reason, I tend to make “families” wherever I am. You may have already recognized that from my articles. I love to treat people as if they are part of my family, because I believe that they are. Whether they are at The Madera Tribune, or the people who worship at my church, or the folks who are involved in the same organizations with me, they are people who are in “my” groups who give me a sense of belonging, and I share that feeling with them.

I suppose it is a human characteristic to enjoy spending time with others. We appreciate getting together with the people we like. How many times have you heard, “Let’s do lunch together,” or “Let’s go shopping at the mall.”? The most enjoyable times we spend are the hours we pass with other people we love. Being sociable is one of the things that makes life worth living.

Have you ever considered how hard life would be if we had no groups or families? We all need that sense of belonging to at least one group. Most of us belong to several groups of people who make us feel comfortable because we have common interests, common backgrounds, common beliefs, or common goals. It is a wonderful feeling to belong to a family both inside and outside of the walls of home.

We are all members of several groups. Of course, we have our “blood-relative” families, and since we usually grow up in a home as a family, we are typically comfortable with that surrounding, and there we feel a sense of belonging. Some families, however, do not live harmoniously and the members cannot wait to get away from the chaos of the house.

Belonging to a group is comforting. It’s like a little nest where we find peace and support. The group may be a class or a church, or an organization. The best groups to join are those in which you can give of yourself so that someone else will benefit. When we share with others and make others feel loved, as a family, our reward is great.

Find that group that will make your life fulfilled, where you may make a difference. There are families everywhere, just waiting to be formed.

You are my family.

— My love to all,

Nancy

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For the sake of my family and friends, I will say, “May you have peace.”

— Psalm 122:8