We continue to take inspiration for my work and life from the book Safe and Secure by two of PLAN’s founders Vickie Cammack and Al Etmanski.
This month we had the opportunity to gather together for a Spring Membership event which emphasized our need for friendship and connection. Al and Vickie wrote so eloquently about our loved ones with disabilities and the integral part that friendships and intentional connections play.
In the chapter called Nurture Friendships they wrote:
“The healing power of friendship
- People with supportive social ties are less likely to become ill
- Social contact helps us to heal more quickly
- Social supports affect the sense of control we have over our well-being and improve our ability to stick with healthy behaviour patterns.”
Wouldn’t you agree that this is true for all of us!
As we begin a new post-pandemic chapter in our lives, it feels a little like we have some work to do to remember how important it has been to us to be connected and to find the ways to be together. Whether it is going swimming, to a birthday party or just hanging out on a Friday night, we are beginning to figure out the ways to get back to those things that we love and the people who make everything better!
What are your favorite ways to nurture connection? We would love to hear your story and write about it in an upcoming newsletter!
Safe and Secure is available on PLAN Institute’s website- here is a link to get you there!
https://planinstitute.ca/learning-centre/publications/safe-and-secure/