THE TRIBE

My friend, Tracey, calls it your Tribe--you know, those people in the world with whom you feel you belong, with whom your spirit resonates. Finding one of your tribe is always a deeply soul-satisfying experience, like coming home to yourself.

You find them unexpectedly, because you can't predict who they are. Age makes no difference, or race or language, though it helps to be able to communicate, since that is often the way you identify another member of your tribe. Not always, though. Sometimes a look or a smile, a shared experience or even a dream will bond and bind you.

Once you have identified a member of your tribe, you belong to each other forever. Not in some creepy, Hollywood way, but for real. These are the people you instinctively trust to understand you, to cover your back, to fight on your side. You may not even know them well, but your spirit recognizes them. Some people call them "kindred spirits." That's apt, too.

I imagine I'm not the only one who often feels misunderstood and alone in a harsh world. So I am deeply grateful for the scattered members of my tribe. Knowing you are out there calms and encourages me. And I love you, too.