I spent the weekend in a remote mountain cabin with people I had barely met before. One had flown all the way from Australia, and the other two from Texas. These weren’t online friends or distant relatives—in fact, I wasn’t even sure how to spell their names. Yet somehow, through shared laughter and a few small mishaps, we bonded almost instantly. The experience reminded me how life-giving it can be to open ourselves to new connections.
We all had a mutual friend whose daughter was getting married that weekend. She had found this cabin for my husband and me to share with these new friends during the wedding festivities. Our trust in her helped us trust each other. That’s the power of relational resilience—connection with one person becomes a bridge to connect with others.
Even before we met, I had faith in who these people might be, so I volunteered them for all sorts of small wedding-support tasks. Thankfully, that faith was well-placed—they jumped right in, eager to help. From the first hugs and smiles, to late-night conversations about aging parents, job changes, and the joys and heartaches of raising children, we found comfort in our shared humanity.
There was plenty of laughter, too—especially when their rental car broke down on the freeway late at night. As we searched for their flashing hazard lights and then waited together for the tow truck, all crammed into one car, we chose to positively reframe the issue, and laugh and say, “We’re making memories,” rather than complain about lost sleep.
I don’t know if I’ll ever see these new friends again, as distance may make that difficult. But the weekend left me full of gratitude. Even in uncertain times, the world is still filled with kind, generous people—and reaching out to connect can fill our hearts in unexpected ways.
It’s a beautiful reminder that while resilience is often described as inner strength, our deepest resilience grows in relationship—with connection, empathy, and community support.
Where might you look for the gift of unexpected connection?
With resilience,
Meri and the Dovetail Learning Team
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