Noverra Earth

Field note 23

Many people think belonging comes from a kind of mutual agreement.

Finding people who think like us.

Believe what we believe.

But we also belong through attention.

You notice a cute dog, someone else does too.

You notice clouds shining at sunset, someone else notices with you.

Rain falls and two people stop long enough to smell the earth.

They may not share the same worldview.

They may not even know each other.

Yet for a moment they are enjoying the same experience.

Sometimes I wonder if loneliness is not always the absence of people but the absence of shared attention towards things that nourish us.

Things that help us grow into better people.

And especially, the simple beautiful things that allow us to live with joy. ☀️🌧️🤝🧠💐

Belonging returns when we remember to notice.

And when we find others who are still noticing too.