The subject of today’s Spiritual Journey first Thursday is CONNECTION. It’s Doraine Bennett’s one-little-word for this year.
I’ve been thinking about connection and connections for several days now and the more I do, the more I realize it’s a big concept.
Many of our tools (like the computer I’m typing on) need a connection to a power source to keep working. Plants need to be connected to nourishment in the ground or water. Craft projects of knit and crochet are a series of yarn connections. And then there’s the vast array of human connections.
We talk of meeting, networking, partying, and fellowshipping. Our connections with people can be as underlings (employee, servant, slave, assistant, aide), equals (contact, associate, ally, kin) or superiors (boss, CEO, leader, head honcho).
Human connection is so important, in fact, that it’s needed from day one. A healthy bond between infants and caregivers can be the difference between life and death. Numerous articles on the psychology of early childhood underline the importance of human connection (skin-to-skin as well as eye and voice contact) with infants for them to grow and develop normally. Those early connections become the foundation for all other human connections and contribute as well to a person’s concept of God.
Have you noticed how family members dote on their own? Moms and grandmas carry their brag books and post photos on Facebook. Dads and grandpas cheer on their sons and daughters at ball games, swim meets, concerts and recitals. No one compares to Junior or Missy. And that’s just how it should be.
Each one of us has our family assignment of little and big ones with whom we connect in a myriad of ways to support, teach, guide, and love.
Cheerleaders
Every wee one who is learning
to kick the ball, hit it off the tee
point her toes and do a plié
summersault, the front crawl
sing in a choir, be elf in a play
play guitar, trumpet, violin
shoot baskets, basket weave
weave in and out in a skillful
soccer dribble to the goal
with the goal to make the team,
every child with dyslexia, autism
Down syndrome, whatever syndrome
who isn’t ever going to make the grade
make the team, team up with the cool kids
(because who are we kidding?)
needs a cheerleader
a yell of encouragement
a bull horn, cow bells, sign held high
banner in the sky
face painted green, blue
or whatever colour the jersey
and an after-game trip to Dairy Queen
because she’s queen of the day
and you’re her mom, dad
grandma, grandpa, uncle, auntie
cousin, biggest fan
on the team of the family.
© 2017 by Violet Nesdoly (All rights reserved)
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This post is linked to Spiritual Journey first Thursday, hosted today by Doraine Bennett at Dori Reads.
Violet Nesdoly 
Love seeing the picture of your family. Family is my number one connection, but I didn’t write about them at all today. This poem should be a headline on a support site for parents of special needs kids! I love the whole stream of it, how it flows and then kinda shocks you into realization.
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Thanks, Margaret! Though I don’t have any special needs kiddos in my immediate family, I have several nieces and nephews who would fit in that category and I’ve seen the inspiring loyalty of family firsthand. It’s why God made families, I think—to give us all someone who supports and cheers for us, and then later someone to support and cheer for.
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Violet, Team Nesdoly is looking good and they are so lucky to have you as the head cheerleader. The pace of your poem is a beautiful flow that is a fitting cheer for the importance of relationships.
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Thanks, Carol! I feel very blessed to have a “team” to cheer for and spoil. 😉
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Love the pic of your team. What a beautiful picture! And your poem is great. Everyone needs cheerleaders and what a gift to be connected to family and friends who cheer us on. Our school does a great job of teaming students with our special needs students. It’s a win-win for everyone.
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Thanks Ramona! How wonderful to hear of your school lending such support to students with special needs. Often their parents are stretched to the limit and such outside help is much appreciated, not to speak of how much the kids value peer contact and acceptance.
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Violet, thank you for introducing us to your beautiful team! I appreciate your thoughts and esp. your poem. 🙂 xo
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Thanks, Irene. It’s wonderful to have a team, isn’t it?
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Oh, yeah! That is what family is supposed to be for family! How sad when your family ISN’T connecting, ISN’T in your corner, though. I’ve seen it happen. Never should the opportunity to cheer or the thrill of being cheered for be missed! Yay, family! Love seeing your Team!
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Thanks, Donna. Yes, it’s truly is sad to see families in conflict. Life is hard enough with the support of those closest.
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I loved seeing all your family connections. You’re so right, Violet. We all need that cheerleader. And we all need to be a cheerleader. I have nine grands and I’ve been working diligently to be that cheerleader for them. So many connections! I love all those weaving words in the poem.
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Thank you Dori! And how blessed are your nine grands.
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