Community — Kim Anderson

I grew up as the daughter of a Secret Service agent. It was pretty interesting. I loved bringing my dad in for career day. All of the other kids thought it was so amazing that he could tell the difference between a regular bill and a counterfeit one (did you know that the Secret Service deals with more than just protection?). They also thought it was neat that he would show up on the news with the President and be standing in the background with a serious look. We always chuckled at his "Secret Service face.”

While there were many interesting stories that came out of his job, one of the challenges was moving every two to three years. When you work for the government, chances are you are moving to advance your career. As a child, I remember thinking that I would never do that to my children. I would marry someone that allowed me to raise my children in the same school and same town. Never say never. I ended up eating my words.

I fell in love with a Navy pilot. And, moving is something that happens in the military. Often. In hindsight, I wouldn't trade my military experience for anything. We met lifelong friends and we were there for each other the way that you would hope when your spouses are deployed for long periods of time.

What I have learned from my moving experiences is how crucial it is to have a community. Community is the net that catches us when we are falling. It is the glue that can keep our emotions from coming unraveled. It is the blanket that wraps around us when we are emotionally cold.

The challenge in today's world is finding community. How do we find it? Where do we look? Does an online community count? As a people, we are more disconnected from others than ever before, even though it appears that we have tons of "friends.”

I encourage you, friends (see what I just did there?!), to dig deep into your community. Be seen. Be heard. Be loved. It is all too easy to sit at home on your device, pretending to be connected in the world. We all need people who are with us, for us, and encouraging us. No one can do it alone. All successful people have a tribe around them. It can be a small tribe, or a big tribe.

Who is your tribe, and how can you encourage each other? Reach out today!