Last week, Cam told Emily about a book he’d just finished that profoundly impacted him (spoiler, he cried). Curious, and looking for her next read, she ordered a copy. She then read the book, Anxious People, by Fredrik Backman, in two sittings. When done, she sat motionless with her thoughts (okay fine, she cried too).
As we’re all trying to find ways to balance home, work, life, COVID, kids, pets, our health, being alone, wishing we were alone, just trying to make it all work…we wanted to share something that made us think, feel gratitude, and gain a deeper sense of empathy toward others.
Reading can improve and maintain your mental health – there’s lots of research on that topic. This is especially significant in this environment wherein a single day we can jump from Zoom to Teams to Word to Google to email to Facetime to text to T.V to bed. (UGH. It’s a lot).
Recognizing the connection both Cam and Emily felt to this book and the relevance for the times, Emily reached out (on Teams…) to see if anyone on our team would like a copy sent to them. The result? Over 17 people gave a little ❤️ and, in return, received a copy of the book to their doorstep the very next day.
From one person to another, to seventeen teammates, and what will be a book club this Spring, sometimes the best form of human connection is remembering to reach out, make small gestures, and show that you care while remaining vulnerable to the very virtues that make us human. In this day and age, it is that very connection that will continue to allow us to turn the page on this pandemic – sifting through the hardships and traumas it has inflicted to leave us with lasting reminders that we have much more in common than what sets us apart.
