Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022
Today’s Gift from Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation is:
Through our own recovered innocence, we discern the innocence of our neighbors. — Henry David Thoreau
From time to time, we get tired of hearing the word “community.” Perhaps the word itself has been overused to the point of meaninglessness. Or perhaps deep inside we fear that the community will rob us of our individuality. But that just isn’t so. Both a community and a crowd are made up of individuals. The difference is in the way the individuals react to one another.
A mob is mindless — it doesn’t matter who its members are. A community, on the other hand, is authentic because it’s made up of separate, distinct people. Without the diverse relationships within the group, a would-be community could never get off the ground.
Within the growing community of adult children, all members are unique, valued, and accepted “as is.” We are one because we are many.
I am comforted by seeing the good within us all, because that means I am finding more worthwhile qualities within myself.
Hazelden Foundation
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