Why Relationships Matter

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During the COVID pandemic, life changed in many ways for all of us. We are still finding the effects of this scary and totally unusual time in our lives. While most pandemic stories were sad and filled with loss, just as many wonderful, inspiring, and significant stories changed lives and how we look at life.

I have a story from that time that has had a major impact on my view of life; it also came with corresponding practical actions. We can then apply the key learning from that story to a question that I have had and continue to grapple with in my life. “What if the life we are seeking is not somewhere else, but deeper inside the life we already have and are experiencing currently?

For me, the pandemic held a great risk, as I have a blood disease that lowers my immune response. We were all hearing stories of people with compromised immune systems dying from the COVID virus. This meant that our family sheltered in place and, when possible, we spent time outside with family and friends.

A few months into the COVID pandemic, my partner Teresa and I decided to form a pod of four with another couple, who live near us in the northeastern corner of Connecticut. Within several months of dinner and lively, deep conversations, four to five times a week, we all noticed profound changes in our 20-year relationship. We each noticed changes in ourselves, and we........

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