There is nothing like community.
It’s hard to believe that on February 2, 2020 our Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl, fifty years their last championship win. Don’t get me wrong. I was in full-fledged, “Let’s go Chiefs!” mode. However, since that day and the parade that came after, life quickly changed worldwide.
Think back to the start of 2020, when the holidays were over and people felt generally hopeful, as often happens during each new year.
Live in Kansas City for even a short while and you see pretty fast how much community matters to those who live here. As this year began, the entire area was a constant sea of red as everyone seemed to wear Chiefs’ clothes on most days, and not just on the traditional Chiefs’ Fridays that are typical all football season long, in Kansas City.
Our renowned KC fountains and statues were decorated to show our pride for our team. Chiefs’ flags on homes and vehicles were seen flying everywhere. Even the school where I work had an entire Spirit Week leading up to that important date, as we also showed community support.
That’s community. We came together in force, as a group. We showed the nation and our team that we were all in this together.
When trouble came, our community still acted as one.
Then, nearly 6 weeks after the huge national win, our state and much of the nation was in a lockdown for our lives. Coronavirus hit, rattling every community across America, just as it had in lands all over the globe. Yet, community still remained.
While it physically appeared more like a ghost town atmosphere, with everywhere hunkered down as best as possible and stayed indoors. Businesses of all types found ways to help their employees to work from home or close temporarily. Schools shifted, within a short matter of weeks to teaching remotely for the remainder of the year. All for the cause of community, maintaining as much as we could of the area we love even if we had to operate differently, to save as many of us as possible from the horrible virus.
As restaurants were allowed to remain open with curbside pick up, we formed groups on social media to pull together for these beloved businesses to keep them running. For example, a family owned Mexican restaurant was happily overwhelmed by their already loyal clientele and a plethora of new ones who came in droves to make sure they would still remain when this was all over. From their Facebook page video, it was clear that they felt our love.
While places like the hair salon I use had to stay closed for weeks, clients bought hair products and gift cards that were sent to our homes, to help show our loyalty to the amazing owners and staff in a great variety of ways. Moments like this happened again and again all over the Kansas City area. They knew we were here for them, as they have always been for us.
When we got on the other side of fighting COVID-19, it was clear that our community wanted to not lose what makes us who we are, as much as possible.
We all need a sense of community; it’s ingrained in who we are.
From the time shortly after birth we have a tendency to reach out to connect with others. It’s why a newborn holds out their finger and whoever witnesses it takes a hold. It is part of who we are deep within; we want to belong and find acceptance among other human beings.
Our first community is typically our family unit. Even God noticed after making the first man that it wasn’t good for him to be alone. Through that experience, we meet other people in life and continue wanting a sense of belonging, when family isn’t always with us.
With each encounter with others, we naturally look for those who might bond with us. Some of these moments are simply a part of life, such as attending school, while others happen by what appears to be just a matter of circumstances.
Thus, we make connections with people again and again from childhood through the adult years, becoming a part of even more community groups. Friendships, peer groups at work or school, clubs/interest groups, sports and places of worship are just some of the communities in which people normally find themselves. No matter which community you’re a part of, one thing is very true of them all.
The human experience cannot fully be embraced unless we connect with others.
The pandemic made many of us feel a lack of that sense of community dynamic. Thankfully, people are highly adept at being resilient and adaptable as needed to keep community with others.
Just like the newborn scenario above, most people formed stronger bonds with their family unit first. So, it makes sense that as the family unit we are living with during the pandemic spends much more time together, the connections established earlier became reignited in many households. The isolation times have allowed many to reconnect in a variety of ways to help us all to continue managing this unusual time together.
As the pandemic began, there was a sense of global loss of the communities we so often relied upon, in our lives.
Times with colleagues, friends, family who are not living in the same home and so many other groups of communities suddenly were cut off from us. At least it seemed that way, at first.
Though many have had family members, roommates, etc. within their homes during the pandemic, the desire to stay connected to those we have bonded with in other parts of lives caused many to feel a sense of grief. Especially not knowing how long it would be till we all could reconnect again.
To cope with that sense of isolation, once again, resiliency of the human spirit prevailed. Most found ways to show how important community is in our lives.
One of the most well known examples of this deep need for community is this video from Italy that went viral, one of the hardest hit in the world when COVID-19 began attacking with a vengeance.
Then, as the medical communities everywhere became the heroes fighting tirelessly to save as many as possible from the awful coronavirus as possible, that sense of connection turned into moments like this:
This is why, even though there wasn’t a lot of time, schools quickly adapted to online or remote teaching for students. It wasn’t for safety and academic purposes alone, but it was also for the social aspect of students and teachers interacting and maintaining the connections made over three quarters of the school year. Normally, the last quarter of a school year is when the classroom dynamics of community are at their strongest, so the educational communities everywhere rallied together, as always.
Employees who shifted to working from from home maintained their communities through online meetings. This often shifted into having virtual bonding moments, such as eating lunch together via their screens. Many companies even had traditional or not so traditional versions of Happy Hours to help with the isolation.
I have even done my walks/jogs with others doing the same, as we spoke via bluetooth.
Churches and other houses of worship have even gone online during these times. Some already had services viewable online before the coronavirus, while others have come to realize the importance of it as they quickly worked out ways to go virtual.
As one of the largest community groups worldwide, many of us have found solace in still getting to worship together through our screens. Personally, having that regular part of my community has been a great source of comfort, wisdom and normalcy, praising God, hearing from the pastors and still having opportunities to connect during the week.
Clearly, we may not have the same sense of community now, as we have had in the past, but we have found ways to adapt.
With the family who haven’t been able to safely come together, people have gotten creative. Suddenly, everyone used the gift of video chatting in all its forms to continue those associations with one another with chatting face to face on screens, scheduling times to eat meals in their individual place at the same time, watching one show in their individual homes while chatting and reacting together, and even continuing or starting game nights together.
As a teacher, even with us on summer break, many of us have also stayed connected in some of the above ways. Since most educators are relational people, and with so much up in the air for the new school year, we have reconnected quite a bit. From video chatting to catching up and discussing, to forming groups via social media, to even organizing ourselves to drive to a location, gather and drive by another colleague’s home to wish them a happy birthday, social distancing style we have found our ways.
We all simply crave the need of remaining connected, even if it occurs in what was once unconventional ways.
Not knowing how long the pandemic will continue, and as areas of our country have been phasing in re-openings of businesses, stores and restaurants, allowing more interaction outside homes, it is clear that we will find ways to connect. Why is that?
Communities have traditions that people don’t want to miss.
While schools were in session online, many had Spirit Weeks for when they met with their peers and teachers. Churches have continued finding ways to give to those in need. In our state, many outdoor team sports were allowed with social distancing requirements in place.
However, concerts, festivals and in many areas even 4th of July fireworks got cancelled. Those used to doing yearly athletic type of competitions, like 5Ks and 10Ks got cancelled, if they couldn’t operate in a virtual manner.
Even our national sports have adapted. In mid-March, the NLB cancelled the rest of the season. While normally the MLB teams would be playing as usual during this time, they have even changed how they’ve trained, shifted their game schedules and they will likely play to empty stadiums, unless it can be worked out to have some fans join them to cheer when it’s safer.
So much has changed that we have always counted on, in our lives.
In the summer, with people normally traveling or going out locally for fun, the shutdown of Broadway and all things theater nationwide, as with movie theaters, has been just a part of traditions many have missed enjoying. Many vacation spots may open, it can’t be business as usual.
How have we transitioned, as a community?
Suddenly, all of the streaming services added shows and movies sooner than originally planned. Hamilton, the musical, went on Disney+ to bring one of their former Broadway performances to the masses.
Families all over the country took money they would have used to possibly travel, to redo their backyards in ways they hadn’t originally planned, to make oases of their own at home. With fire pits to talk around a cozy fire in the evenings and maybe make some s’mores, trampolines to allow children to have fun outdoors safely, and even getting pools from the kiddie type to ones large enough for the whole family, it has made months of being at home better to handle during the hot summer months.
An added bonus to this has been the continued bonding time provided to families, as they bond in ways they’ve enjoyed in the past or by making new traditions.
One of the largest traditions that caused many people a lot of grief was the loss of their scheduled dates for weddings, proms, graduations and so much more.
That’s until actor John Krasinski started a new phenomenon of a show called SOME GOOD NEWS, using Facebook. There were so many viewers that he had to change to YouTube. People all over the world ended up feeling more connected as they watched famous people connecting with everyday people in a way never done before.
It brought a sense of happiness for many who were struggling with sadness and fear. It was something everyone could watch, and watch they did!
Seeing a heartbroken couple getting married with loved ones included was an amazing moment to witness. Sending an invite to a virtual prom caused major glitches with the show starting later than planned, as John Krasinski found a way to handle the overload of virtual prom attendees and viewers all over the nation. There was even a graduation for all of those feeling the deep loss of milestone traditions. These new way of connecting, and providing what others needed, made a huge difference in the lives of many. That’s community!
Communities are needed more than ever as we continue the fight against COVID-19.
Communities encourage one another. As family and friends have had to face getting tested for the coronavirus, the first thing most have done is reach out to their community of humans. One of my dear friends kept me in the loop from the time she found out she might be infected until the negative response was received. Those going through this need the support, as they face the fear of the what-if.
Communities care about and support one another. Likewise, as people we know have died, potentially without any way to communicate with those they love like I’ve gone through more than once, we need our “people” more than ever before.
The encouragement received was overwhelming and needed. From cards, flowers, and more sent to us, to texts, calls, and video chats with those I know all over the country, each of them were a powerful source of love to us as we knew there was no way to get together and say goodbye to the ones we had lost.
Communities provide a place to belong. From those in our homes, to the towns and cities we live in, to a large group of communities that exist, it helps us to know that while our experiences are different, we are in this together. We are not alone.
A true and healthy community is diverse, but united.
I hope that you have your own community or communities, but if not, may this blog post help encourage you to reach out to others during these times. We live in this world together. During a crisis that has literally impacted our world, community is so important.
A good community makes you a better person, provides balance, as well as genuine bonds through the good and the bad times. Feel free to check out these great tips on 10 Traits That Make a Good Community for more ideas of how to know if a community might be good for you.
My best example of the power of community is Jesus when he walked this Earth. Even those who don’t profess faith in Jesus Christ know that He had 12 disciples. His relationship with these twelve men show that as a group there were many differences among them. However, they supported one another. They defended each other. They cared about each other. While Jesus ministered to others, He didn’t do it alone.
As Coretta Scott King said, “The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”
Don’t do life on your own, especially now. Rather than embracing the fear of the unknown, hold fast to those connections to others that are making us all stronger individually and together, through this worldwide collective experience.
May we leave a legacy we can be proud of, of communities that knew or learned how to stand together for the greater good of us all.
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Rachel's Reflections 