Comfort is a word that all of us use in the winter time when we want to be safe and warm from the winter elements. We might have “comfort foods” or “food mom used to make” to help wrap us in memories from our childhood when we were taken care of. We might wrap ourselves in a warm blanket or set a fire before us. We might add hot chocolate and marshmallows to our plan. We might play music that brings back warm memories, or read a book that we remember with fondness. And, then we reflect on the friends who surrounded us for our life adventures. We remember our family events, grandparent hugs, presents from Aunts and Uncles, glowing parents watching over us. And, we remember our friends. We remember the buddies who got us through the school years, our teens, our relationships, our children, our aging. And, we remember those in our world that set up a community of support that would raise us, help us, nurture us, support us and celebrate us. In this we find “comfort”.
Our community is our extended family. Sometimes they know more about us than we would like, but they care. They help us with projects and activities and provide volunteer time to achieve great things for those around them. They strive to create a working relationship that can create opportunities for others in the community through special programs and initiatives. And, our community provides us with comfort.
It is very stressful to enter a new environment (school, workplace, activity, community) and find out how you fit. Creatures of habit, we prefer to stay where we know how things work and what the outcomes will be, but sometimes we have to move out of our comfort zone and create new communities. How do we do this?
From our perspective, the new one trying to fit, we want to share, build, learn and grow with the new people and surroundings around us. From the community’s perspective, they want to learn about us, enjoy our different perspective, and help us find a way to feel like we fit.
How do we find a way to fit? It starts with a smile. An exchange of this simple gesture can mean so much. It can be heartwarming. It can be inviting. It can be accepting. It can be encouraging. It starts with a caring word. “How are you?” “Can I help you?” “Where are you from, or where you to? And it is the time that someone takes to help us feel comfortable and important. “Just call if you need something.” “Here, let me show you where that is.” “Let me introduce you.” It is only a few words put together and a gesture, but once the anxiety is decreased, we can relax and open ourselves up to a whole new world of possibility.
Simple gestures. Acceptance and comfort. Just one smile can make a world of difference. What would happen to your day if someone came to you with a smile, or caught your eye? How would you feel if you started the smile and you brightened the day of someone else today? How would one smile change the way the community around you felt about you, became engaged in an activity with you, or welcomed you? How would a new person feel if they were the recipient of your smile today? We all want to belong, and it is up to us to find the way for us all to feel the comfort of belonging – Smile and Pass it on!
