“But the soul will show up only if we approach each other with no other motive than the desire to welcome it.” -Parker Palmer  (A Hidden Wholeness, 2004, p.64)

These words by Parker Palmer speak to my heart and hopefully to you also. This is the authentic love so many of us treasure in our closest friends. Our closest loved ones. This is the way kindred spirits make us feel. No motives. Just an openness, and realness, that bring us closer and help us feel safe.

In middle school, I was invited to join a group called Natural Helpers. It was a national program that trained students and peers to support their fellow classmates. Natural Helpers were chosen through student survey on who in their school they felt they could talk to. Who they felt safe with. I was new to the school district. I hadn’t grown up with all my fellow classmates. And yet, somehow, I was chosen by them to be their support. An honor I am still humbled by.

In college, as a first year student, again, I was chosen by my fellow dorm students as a peer they would go to if they needed support. The university had their own college level of Natural Helpers that I was invited to be apart of. Humbled and willing to take this work on, I decided to expand my support by signing up as a residence hall manager (Dorm Mother?). My second year of college, I was again invited to attend the college group of Natural Helpers. (It was at this training, I met Andrew, and my world has never been the same!) Called by my residents to be a support for them, to listen when they hurt, to encourage them when they thought of giving up, was again, an honor.

It is this type of support structure we need in the world, in our communities, our schools, and our organizations today. It’s needed by adults. It’s needed by students. It’s needed by leaders. And by the strangers.

Recently, my eldest son was writing a paper about what three major skills his Generation Z would need to succeed in the future. He worked through the first two, Communication (in all forms, but mostly speech paired with visual forms) and Money Management were two specific life skills that he felt were absolutely necessary for future success. For his third skill, he chose something different. He wrote about the skill of Connecting. Connecting with others to build a support system to overcome the challenges of daily living. His reasoning was that it is through relationship and the support of each other, that we can be healthier and live more fully.

He is absolutely right!

So how are we called to encourage this skill? To support everyone in their ability to connect with others in real and authentic ways? Social networks have widened our opportunities to connect, however, how authentic have we become? I would argue that the online networking has limited the real connections with others.

SO, how will we ensure the Generation Z and future Generations understand the value of real relationships and know how to build systems of support?

It must be taught! It must be. WHO will be our movers of this? It has to be the Generation that came before our systems of supports dramatically changed. Grandparents are an amazing current opportunity for teaching our younger generations and we are ignoring their wisdom. Just look at the amount of views Betty White gets with her different videos and memes? What if we pulled in their knowledge? If we were to ask for their wisdom, and encouraged them to teach our generations how to connect in authentic ways? It could be so cool! I wonder what it would look like?

What if???

Deuteronomy 4:9
“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and grandchildren.”

Carrie

#shineon