Making Connections

Making connections with others is the key to finding and building great relationships. Each time we meet a new person or animal we are at the threshold of change in our life. Each moment and each contact we have builds on all the others we have had. All these experiences help to guide and mold us into who we will be.

We each bring our unique talents and traits into each encounter. Together we can do amazing things. Our drumming groups, group art projects and puppy socialization moments are just some of these amazing experiences where we see just how it works.

In our drumming groups there are so many different things going on. We are aware of our individual benefits and growth and how we are all a part of our circle. Someone listening enjoys watching and listening as our individual sounds blend together to make our music, unaware of our unique talent and individual journeys.

With many of our art programs and cottage industries we work on individual projects. We also believe that together we can do different things and sometimes even more. So we work on group art projects and assist others with their personal businesses when they ask for extra help. Some people’s participation in these activities has inspired them to explore their own businesses and/or further exploration of the arts.

Puppy socialization is always a fun and amazing experience. Some of the volunteers here have new puppies in their lives and have brought them here individually. It has been a great opportunity for the puppies and for all of us here as well. We have learned and grown so much in our interactions with each other and with building relationships.

There is always risk with each new encounter and/or experience. Without risk there can’t be growth. With dignity of risk come opportunities of a lifetime without we wonder what could have been. We never want to see ourselves or someone else getting hurt or suffering but without trying you’ll never know what could have been.

If people stopped drumming because it hurt their hands we would have missed out on the years of experiences of belonging to our drum circle. Without working together on our art pieces we never would have seen the amazing things that have been done. As we sweat in our personal gardens it was only through seeing what happened to uncared for plants that we learned what it takes to reap the benefits of the harvest. If we didn’t persevere through the nips of a puppy what would happen in the end?

We always hope that each encounter in life is a pleasant one but it isn’t always. Here we acknowledge that sometimes meeting new people and doing new things can be dangerous and cause harm. Pain and suffering can be detrimental. We are not ignoring or making light of these facts. It is also true that sometimes, if and how we make it through these experiences helps us to discover new tools for our own growth and for helping others.