There are two women I met who are also going to be here for a while. I’m psyched about that. It’s funny, making new friends is not one of the goals I had in mind when I came, but we’re starting to bond, giggling a lot, sharing frustrations, swapping favorite food stories, telling each other about our kids, etc, and it’s nice. What a revelation! I know that must sound weird, but I can tend to be a little anti-social, so it really is a bit of a revelation for me. And the really interesting thing for me is that feeling these friendly connections forming seems important to rediscovering myself, re-connecting to my own needs and wellbeing, starting to feel more human again. It’s comforting to have someone to fall in with – whether for an instant between activities, over a meal, or a good laugh during class. Just saying. You know, I’ve actually read a couple things recently about the importance of friendship and social connections – even just being in the company of others – to a person’s health, quality of life, and even lifespan. Hmm. That’s starting to resonate with me. True? Maybe. One more thing that feels good? For sure.
Social connections, especially for womenfolk has been shown to strengthen health, quality of life, sense of wellbeing etc. Inward connections to spirit and self can do likewise. I appreciate so much the respect that staff and other residents give to the outliers, the ones who choose to be on the fringe of the social beehive and chatter- kind like Bowen’s theory of attachment- securely attached yet autonomous and free to be self-determined without reprisal from the host/community. The Deerfield Spa accomodates all and her residents graciously respect the diversity of the community of residents.