"Solitude does not necessarily mean living apart from others; rather, it means never living apart from one's self. It is not about the absence of other people -- it is about being fully present to ourselves, whether or not we are with others. Community does not necessarily mean living face-to-face with others; rather, it means never losing the awareness that we are connected to each other. It is not about the presence of other people -- it is about being fully open to the reality of relationship, whether or not we are alone."
~Parker J. Palmer in A Hidden Wholeness
This puts a whole new spin on solitude and community for me. You?
5 comments:
Oh yeah!
Mich
indeed.
I was feeling so awful today about myself and my life (which is very solitary) but then (once again) I open your blog and find a post that speaks deeply to me. Thanks!
Yes, I'm thinking that this is a book that I may need to investigate further. :) thanks for the recommendation.
i'm so glad you're reading this. i enjoyed it so much. it truly could only be written by someone who is so in touch with himself and has lived so fully in a gentle community.
thanks for the reminder!
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