Wow, Someone Else Feels The Same Way I Do!

Many times, when we are in small groups and someone talks about how they feel in a certain situation, I find myself thinking, “Wow, someone else feels the same way I do!”  That does two things; it helps me feel less alone and validates my own feelings.  The understanding connects me to someone else and we all need and want that human connection.  It’s amazing how being in a group of women, whether it’s 3 or 12, can help us each feel better.  Listening with an open heart and mind, I’ve learned how others deal with situations and how that could apply to my own.  Sometimes I’ve thought I was the only goofy one with goofy thoughts!  It’s good to know I’m not alone, nor am I all that goofy. Well, ok, I am goofy, but maybe not more than others!

We all have the same basic need to feel connected with others. That is something that I have talked about with Linda at length; that comforting feeling of belonging or, how badly we feel when we don’t think we belong – when we are left out of things, or when we are not included.  Even if we don’t say anything in a group setting, we can still feel that connection with others.  I have said things to other women in the group afterward, one on one, and others have said things to me after the group.  Expressing gratitude and letting others know they are not alone in this journey can be conveyed with a look, with a hug, sometimes wordlessly, sometimes with just a few words or with tears. Linda has taught me so much about connections, in one on one and in groups.  I see it happening all the time, whether it’s with people or horses.   It’s a beautiful thing to see.