Saturday in the Online Gatherings is pretty open. We spend 45 minutes in self-guided practice, then shift into a 35 minute discussion period. We have a rotating set of launch pads for these conversations; start points from which we allow ourselves to wander where we will.

Today’s launch pad was ‘What’s going on in your life these days?’ This used to be ‘How is meditation showing up in your life these days?’ After a while, however, we realized we all preferred talking solely about the ‘your life’ portion of this prompt and the wording was changed.

It’s sometimes easy to forget there’s more to all of us than meditation. We all lead lives with joys and sorrows, interests and responsibilities. It’s delightful to be reminded of this. A treat to drop the ‘meditator’ label for a while and engage one another as people.

More and more, this seems an important part of the meditative journey: becoming familiar with (which is the translation of the Tibetan word for meditation, ‘gom’) not only oneself, but with the others around us as well. More and more, this seems an important part of belonging to community, or sangha.

It’s an appreciated part, too. This morning’s conversation was an easy meander in which we shared excitement about a picture hanging tool and newly adopted cat, an early morning ocean dip and an evening visit to a local steak house.

None of these were earth-shattering revelations. They were, however, connection-building. The next time I see a cat, for instance, I suspect I’ll remember the community member who acknowledged this recent addition to her home. She’ll come to mind with some measure of a smile and affection, and for an instant the subtle energetic thread between us will hum just a little more loudly, shimmer just a little more vividly.

And who knows? Maybe for this moment I’ll remember I am not alone in this world. I’ll remember that none of us are, really. That that web of relatedness is always alive between us. Humming. Shimmering. Reminding us of something essential.