An Invisible Thread

I have been looking back at 2020 and the devastating year we had. I know I am not alone in my optimistic wishes for 2021 for good health, stability and togetherness. I believe this year could be the turning point where we begin the healing process.

I have also given some thought to the interconnectedness of humankind and how we relate to each other. It seems that when one person falls, we all feel the impact; when another celebrates, we all feel the joy.

At least, that is what I have observed.

Why is that? An ancient Chinese proverb states, “An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place and circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle. But it will never break.”

This idea makes sense to me but I would broaden it to say that we are all connected, even if we have never met. I can imagine a thread connecting every single person in the world. With every thought, word or deed, it pulls slightly toward or away from a person. Like a magician’s napkin illusion, you don’t see the thread pulling but it moves nonetheless.

Sometimes I think I can feel the pull of my invisible thread. I might be watching a news report on someone who performed a heroic act or overcame adversity. I feel pride with them. Another story may be about someone who has been touched by tragedy. My heart aches for them. I have never met these people but their experiences are now my experiences. Everything we take in, no matter how seemingly insignificant, affects us.

Do you remember the opening scenes of “Wide World of Sports” back in the day? Who among us didn’t hurt inside when the “agony of defeat” skier spilled across the screen? It was only television but our humanness kicked in at that very moment.

Have you ever worked in your yard and planted some colorful flowers? Do you remember how that made you feel? Good, right? Well, suppose your thread is connected to the people in your neighborhood. When a passerby notices your lovely garden, the thread pulls toward them a little bit, giving them some of the delight you created. Likewise, during the first part of the pandemic, imagine that people from all over the world were pulling their threads, all at once. It created an overwhelming sense of anguish followed by panic as we surged forward. The collective emotion was palpable everywhere you went. At the grocery store, when I saw the bare shelves, I could feel it and it was hard to shake. Many of us avoided these chaotic situations and stayed home or turned to the great outdoors to untangle our threads. Some reached out to front line workers with acts of kindness or helped those who were isolated, to brighten their day.

I believe we are all deeply connected to the ancestors who came before us and to those souls yet to arrive. Our intertwined threads carry their knowledge, strength and vulnerabilities inside us. Every strand that touches us is important and some will lead us to fulfill certain destinies. Pay attention to those links.
At the beginning of the year, before we knew what COVID-19 was, we lost our son to a drug overdose. It was a heartbreaking experience, one that every parent fears. I have to say, the only way we got through it was the outpouring of love and support from family, friends, neighbors and, yes, even strangers. All those threads wrapped around our family like a fuzzy, warm blanket. We felt all the tethers from here on Earth and throughout the heavens. It was as if we were being held up and embraced by the collective. We were not alone in our grief.

You are not alone either. We are connected.