Gift of Community
Written by: Liz Cerven
Dear Reader,
In the quiet moments, when life feels heavy and uncertain, have you noticed how the presence of others can be a balm for the soul? Like sunlight filtering through a canopy of trees, soft and golden, community offers us a mosaic of warmth and light—a reminder that even when shadows fall, we are never truly alone. Within the embrace of connection, we find the quiet hum of life’s rhythm, as though the beating hearts around us create a symphony, inviting us to dance even in the face of doubt.
Community is one of life’s most profound gifts. It is a refuge, a harbor when storms rage within us. Like a well-worn blanket draped over weary shoulders, it shields us from the cold isolation of life’s uncertainties. In this sacred space, we can lay down our burdens and breathe deeply, knowing we are surrounded by others who stand ready to steady us when we stumble. As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, “When we touch something with deep awareness, we touch everything.” In the loving embrace of community, we begin to see our shared experiences not as separate threads, but as part of a vibrant, interconnected tapestry. And it is this weaving together of lives that gives us strength.
It is within this shared fabric of community that joy springs to life in its most radiant forms. Picture the laughter shared around a flickering fire, the kind that carries on the wind like sparks rising into the night sky, igniting warmth in every soul it touches. In these moments, our joys are magnified, not because they are louder, but because they resonate in the hearts of those who surround us. bell hooks reminds us, “To live in community is to be able to share joy and not feel guilt, to be able to share grief and not feel shame.” Community becomes a container for joy—a vessel large enough to hold our celebrations, no matter how grand or small, and allow them to ripple outward, touching others and multiplying in return.
But just as joy binds us, so too does grief. Community is where our grief finds its voice, no longer confined to the silence of solitude. When one heart aches, others gather close, offering their presence as a shelter from the storm. Grief, when held together, transforms—no longer a weight too heavy to bear, but a bridge that carries us to the other side. As waves of sorrow ripple through the collective, they remind us of our shared humanity, weaving us closer together. There is healing in the knowledge that we do not carry the burden alone, that someone is there to witness our tears and whisper, “I see you. I am here.”
Michelle Cassandra Johnson beautifully writes, “Grief has the power to connect us to our humanity and our hearts.” When we acknowledge and honor grief as a shared experience, it softens us instead of hardening us, teaching us to live more compassionately alongside one another. She reminds us that grief is not something to suppress or conquer, but a force that, when met with love and care, leads to profound transformation. “Our grief is tethered to what we love,” Johnson reflects, and it is this love, born from loss, that ultimately binds us more deeply to one another. In community, we learn that to grieve together is not simply to mourn but to honor, to mend, and to celebrate the beauty of what remains.
And from this connection to grief, we are drawn back to the heart of what sustains us: love. Grief and love are two sides of the same coin, both born from connection. As Johnson reminds us, “Our grief is tethered to what we love.” Just as grief binds us, love calls us to return to the center of community, where we are reminded of our shared purpose: to love and be loved, to care and be cared for.
bell hooks spoke often of love as the transformative force within communities. She urged us to see love not as an individual emotion, but as a collective practice. “Love is an action, a participatory emotion,” she wrote. To build a community rooted in love, we must choose to show up for one another, again and again, even when it feels difficult. Love within community is not passive; it asks for our full presence and intention. It calls us to hold space for the messy, beautiful, and raw truths of being human.
In a world that often teaches us to protect ourselves by closing off, community calls us to open. It invites us to love expansively, to create spaces where vulnerability is not feared but cherished. hooks reminds us that “living simply makes loving simple.” When we strip away pretense and ego, we create the conditions for love to flourish—love that is honest, reciprocal, and rooted in care. This love does not demand perfection; it asks only for commitment.
Imagine love within a community as a river, flowing steadily and freely, nourishing every root it touches. This kind of love grows in small acts—a kind word, a shared meal, a shoulder to lean on. It reminds us that love is not a finite resource but a self-replenishing force, growing stronger the more it is given away. As hooks beautifully wrote, “The choice to love is the choice to connect—to find ourselves in the other.” Through this choice, we create a space where everyone belongs.
When life feels overwhelming, I hope you will remember that you are held within this vast, unseen web of connection. There are people—perhaps near, perhaps far—who care for you, who want to see you thrive, and who are ready to welcome you into the circle. Let yourself lean into that love. Let yourself give freely of your own, knowing that the more you share, the more it grows, like a fire that warms all who gather around it.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we heal. Together, we remind one another that the beauty of community lies not in its perfection, but in its ability to hold us exactly as we are—broken, brilliant, grieving, and whole. Love, as bell hooks taught us, is not something we find but something we build. And in the act of building it together, we find a refuge for the weary, a celebration for the joyful, and a home for all who seek belonging.
With warmth and gratitude