Using your experiences to really connect with others

In the summer of 2020, I got a card in the mail from a friend of a friend. Enclosed was a lovely hand-written note with her condolences on the passing of my father, and she recounted feelings about her own father’s passing a few years prior.

It’s difficult to describe, but I was just starting to realize that there were people who got it and people who didn’t.

Evelyn got it. She had been there and she knew exactly what I was going through.

Not to diminish the sentiments and love that people shared who had not lost a father, but it was a different kind of connection. One that I was grateful for.

Fast forward a few years and I find myself in this position again.

I broke my ankle on vacation at the end of June and had surgery in early July. I haven’t been able to walk or drive or do much of anything other than RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) in six weeks and have a lot of recovery ahead of me.

I’m grateful for the love and support from friends and family, but also grateful for the conversations and connections from people who get it.

One of my clients who had surgery after hiking in a volcano. A WordPress friend who broke her ankle bike riding a few days after me and had a similar surgery (and then another). The woman at the doctor’s office who has had two surgeries and is looking forward to being able to walk her dog again.

Share your story and your experiences. You never know the impact it will have on someone else.

P.S. For the last few months, I’ve been thinking about this newsletter and its future, wondering if it’s time to hang up my hat or pivot in a new direction, perhaps writing more online in a different way. I haven’t found the answer yet, but if you have any thoughts for me, I’d love to hear them. Reply and let me know ❤️

P.P.S. I am still writing my other newsletter and have been able to get my podcast episodes out weekly. The solo ones are a little wacky, but I’m doing it 💪