Out of the blue, someone sends you a text message of them standing next to a giant cartoon pickle and you immediately feel your heart smile. I use this phrase for only the most special circumstances. We smile at various things every day. The cat acting life a monkey climbing his cat tower, the guy who let you merge into his lane, or sipping your favorite coffee are examples of moments which bring about a smile. But what types of moments truly make your heart smile? The type of smile that sends a warmth coursing through you and bestows a feeling of love.
What exactly is at the root of this emotion? Is it the person sending it? Is it the message itself? Or could it be just a little bit of each with a dash more? I believe what is at the root is connection. We, as humans, are neurologically wired to be connected to other humans.
This connection will manifest differently with varying interactions. I once had the most powerful connection with a woman in a coffee shop while in India. We never exchanged names, but we spoke heart to heart for an hour over a cup of chai. My heart smiled. I will never forget that day and how it altered my life. Connections can be those brief moments when the barista at the coffee shop recalls your exact order. A connection occurs when someone asks how your day was and really wants to know the answer. Connections make you feel special and remembered. Don’t we all want to feel special and remembered?
In personal relationships connection is vital to the life of the relationship. When there is no connection there is a tendency for people to drift apart. Days becomes weeks, weeks become months, and so on until there is no longer a connection at all. The bond has been broken. Connection is not something we can hope for nor is it something to ever be taken for granted. When a person is important to you, it sometimes takes time and effort in a busy world to maintain the connection. You have to decide if the relationship is important and a priority. Life is busy and hectic and consuming. However, if we do not breathe life into our connections, they eventually wither away.
It is not the length of time you have known a person, it is the preserved connection that matters. Today my friend sent me a photo of her standing next to a pickle because of a fleeting conversation we shared. She recalled our conversation and thought to share an experience with me. My friend lives quite a distance away but she took the time to nurture our connection. It may have been a fun and silly message on her end, but times like these are the ones that make my heart smile.
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About Kerry Knowles
Kerry is a Catalyst for change as a Certified Life Coach, EMDR therapist and Certified Equine therapist. Kerry specializes in trauma, grief, depression, anxiety, and the art of joy & happiness . She is also an artist, wanderer, author, editor, lover of life and all beings great and small!
