It’s Simple, We Need One Another

 When I began thinking about what I would say this morning, one of the lines from the song you just heard, “People”, popped into my head – “People, people who need people are the luckiest people in the world”.   But despite the fact that I own nearly every Barbra Streisand movie, I’m embarrassed to say I only knew the one line.  So I had to Google the lyrics.  I was surprised by how simple yet poignant the words were.  I particularly liked the line “But first be a person who needs people.”  Above all else, it’s saying, be someone who understands the need to connect with other people.  I believe this is the why we are here, the purpose of life, to connect with other human beings.

I think it’s a bit difficult for us Americans to admit that we “need” other people.    This country was built on the idea of individual freedom and independence.   Over the past 200 some odd years, the meaning of the word “Independent” has turned into something that encompasses much more than was originally intended.   When I think of someone who is described as being “independent”, I think of someone who is strong, capable, smart, self-aware.  These are the adjectives I’ve used when I’ve proudly commented about my 9 year old daughters independent spirit.   Being independent is something we aspire to.  And, as we age, it’s something we desperately want to maintain.
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