Sometimes there are days so magical that not even the news can bring you down. I was fortunate to experience one of those days today.
One person long connected to PLAN—someone who has had a wide circle of acquaintances, but few close family or friends—has been in a period of focused reconnection over the past two years. That reconnection has taken many forms: invitations to teas, events, lunches, workshops, celebrations, and everything in between. As we often say at PLAN, the reason to connect is rarely as important as the connection itself. Together, we made space for that to happen.
What followed was reciprocity. Ideas were shared. Care showed up. Support moved naturally through the network. When a family doctor was needed, someone knew who to call. When a music teacher for a grandchild was needed, the network had the answer. When caregiver interview questions were needed for a mom overseas, we shared what we had learned.
This is the heart of PLAN’s work. Not programs first, but people. Not services alone, but relationships. This experience reminds us:
* never underestimate the power of relationship
* answers live within layers of care, not systems alone
* shared time is both golden and healing
* connections ripple outward into deep, practical support
* formal roles and structures often follow what relationships have already made possible
This is how networks grow. This is how circles form. This is how people are held—over time, and across generations.
So dive in. Invite. Reciprocate. Trust that what you help build now will be carried forward by others, and that the magic of community will continue to radiate.
Shared by: Meaghen Taylor-Reid