I recently discovered some facts that I find shocking.
- Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability in the world.
- US life expectancy has been on the decline for three consecutive years, the longest consecutive decline since 1915-18, which included World War I and the Flu pandemic (killing around 50 million worldwide)
I refuse to stand by and watch this happen, so I wonder: “What are we going to do about it?” “What am I going to do about it?” “What can I do in collaboration with others about this grim reality facing our society?”
There is no easy global answer for these questions, or we wouldn’t be in the crises we are in. Community and connection seem to be a big part of the answer and those can’t be completed by our government or large corporations. They need to be made on an individual level. Since everyone has something unique to offer this world, the solutions will look different for everyone. Some may simply be present to others, hand out meaningful compliments freely, and/or care for the elderly. Others connect by giving others a sense of belonging, meeting their neighbors, celebrating together and/or being good to as many people as possible. Still others are able to take on bigger work, such as collaborating with others for a higher purpose, creating something together and/or making something better for someone else.
A neighbor just texted me to see if I could mend some of his pants. He house-sits for us and has chauffeured our kids to/from their jobs. We cat-sit for him and help with other tasks on occasion. We are there for one another. I’ll text him when I return home and while I mend his pants, we will visit and enjoy a beer he recently brought over for my husband’s birthday.
I’m writing this from a friend’s home where I’m cat sitting. Due to their adolescent daughter’s health, she had to cancel her summer camps and trips to the swimming pool. I visited a few times this summer to deliver art and craft supplies, sometimes staying to do projects with them, in hopes of providing her some indoor fun. This family has been there for us, loaning their car when ours was in the shop, picking up one of our kids, and offering other assistance when we needed it. It’s these small things, loaning craft supplies, picking up kids and cat sitting that form connection and build relationships. The spiral continues, and we almost always benefit whether from this or another source.
I can’t tell you for certain that my friends won’t be part of the statistics of our society’s drug & suicide crises; but I know that we have developed a community, a network of caring people that any of us can turn to when life gets tough. It gives me deep comfort and joy knowing we are there for each other, if/when any of us should need it.
Kellogg Sisters also deeply values community and connection. We have created free community events with the purpose of gathering, connecting, being present for others, and inspiring, motivating and creating together. Two of our community events are Craftivism and Land Art+Pie.
We have adopted craftivism, combining activism and crafts – and this year our theme is appreciation, which we feel is an antidote to isolation, depression and hopelessness. We create crafts to give to others, to share love, creativity and appreciation. We have made valentines, tissue paper flowers and whimsical gift bags. I have given many of my craftivism creations to our kids’ high school teachers, as my little way of saying ‘thanks’ for all the effort they put into teaching my kids.
This fall we will have a special Land Art+Pie event on September 15th. It’s an afternoon of cooperative land and nature-based art in the spirit of Andy Goldsworthy. We will divide into teams and each team will build something beautiful out of found materials from their designated part of the land, followed by tour to see each creation. There will be an opportunity to swim in the lake, and then a potluck to enjoy each other’s company.
We hope you will take time to reflect on how you can best connect with others and build community. We would love to have you join in our upcoming Kellogg Sister’s community events.
Let’s all challenge ourselves to open our eyes, look at each other and make connections today.