This week: The Value of Community Edited by: NaNoKit  
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Sometimes we lose faith in humanity, and are tempted to retreat into a world of our own. But community matters...
This week's Spiritual Newsletter is all about communities, both online and offline, faith-based or secular.
NaNoKit |
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Hello everyone,
Are you enjoying Birthday Week? I know that I am. It’s amazing that this community has existed for 19 years now! That is a long time, especially on the Internet.
I fully believe that one of the reasons that this community has lasted for as long as it has is because it is built upon kindness, care and encouragement. Many of us felt daunted when we first joined and uploaded our first item. It is scary to put our work out there and, by extension, ourselves. And then we received some kind reviews, and got to know some other members, and everyone was really nice and supportive, and it’s wonderful to be in a place like that. So, naturally, we want other new members to have the same positive experience. And on it goes.
It is a big difference from other online communities that I have visited or been a member of. I’ve met with a lot of defensiveness and irritability. Cliquishness. Pure nastiness, too. Writing.Com, then, truly is a haven. That it has remained that is remarkable. I hope that it will continue to be so for many more years!
It’s made me think about the importance of communities in general. I am pretty fortunate that I live in a rather peaceful village. The biggest news story that I can remember is that a few years ago some people thought a goat was stuck on a rocky outcrop on a hill. Specialists came in to rescue it, but before they could do that the goat happily hopped back down. You can leave your door unlocked when you go to the shop. Leave a parcel on the doorstep and it doesn’t get stolen. I’ve lived in cities before and even when I had nice neighbours, it wasn’t quite like that.
It wasn’t always sweetness and light here, though. I did have a couple of neighbours – who have moved now, thankfully – who stirred up trouble. It truly brought home the value of having good neighbours. I have some great ones now. One neighbour decorated one of my outdoor plants for Christmas, and when I returned from the hospital after surgery she brought me a handmade gift. Another neighbour and I bring each other food, and we share a cat as his feline wanders in through the cat flap and hangs out here when he’s at work. We all keep an eye on a couple of elderly, more vulnerable neighbours. And I try to be a good neighbour, too, lending out tools and taking in parcels for people.
One of my grandmothers was part of an excellent community at the Salvation Army. She’d attended there ever since she was young, and she was a member of the choir. When she could no longer travel independently, they’d come and pick her up and when her health deteriorated further, and she could no longer attend the services, the friends she had made there came to visit her.
My other grandmother is a church leader and now that her health is less than it was, too, it is good to see people help her when needed. She still does as much as she possibly can, and she supports other members in turn.
I am not the most outgoing person, but there is no denying that it feels good to know that I am not alone. That if something were to go wrong, there’d be people there to help me. Just as I know that if someone else needed me, I would do what I could to help them. I don’t think that us human beings were made to be completely alone, even if sometimes it feels as though it would be easier. Realising this doesn’t mean that we have to suddenly have others around 24/7, but community connections are valuable, and it’s nice to be of value to the wider community.
Here on Writing.Com, you are a valued member of the community as well. If you haven’t yet felt a part of it, why not make a post on your newsfeed? Follow some members whose work you admire and review an item of theirs? During Birthday Week, you can send a Merit Badge for free each day. When you reach out, others are bound to reach out to you in turn.
Whatever you do, enjoy yourself!
NaNoKit
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Some contests and community activities to inspire you:
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And don't forget:
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The Spiritual Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
Wishing you a fun Birthday Week, and lots of inspiration,
The Spiritual Newsletter Team
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Spiritual: September 04, 2019 Issue [#9742]
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