The Invisible Threads Between Us (And How We Tug Them Every Day)
What a sick day in Morocco and a TV show revealed about the unseen ways we shape each other
Hi beloved one. How are you?
The other night, I had one of those mental jackpot moments. You know, those times when, all of a sudden, several things line up in your brain, and you’re like, “Aha! I get it!”
We were watching Shrinking, Apple TV’s hit show about three therapists and their circle of friends, when it happened. Noticing the way the main characters interact with each other. Realizing how Jimmy, Paul, Gaby, Liz, Derek, Sean, and company continually push, pull, and play off one another, it occurred to me one of the reasons this show is so brilliant, is because Shrinking dramatizes the tug of war us humans are born into.
Humanity is like a tapestry, in that there are threads connecting us one to another. Which means our words and deeds, cannot help but affect others. Consciously and unconsciously, we’re constantly tugging on the invisible strands tying us together.
My partner and I recently went on a group tour of Morocco, and I believe one of our days in the city of Marrakech paints a good picture of this. While I’ll spare you the gory details, Lisa came down with food poisoning, or a stomach bug. Which prompted Khadija, the organizer of our trip, to go to the pharmacy to get some medicine, and advice, for her.
When it comes to caring for others, there’s something about the way mamma bears take charge of the situation. And Khadija is definitely a mamma bear!
After consulting with Lisa and I a bit, Khadija and the others were satisfied that all she needed was some rest, water, and medication. So, while Lisa and I hung out at the hotel, they left to go on an excursion with our tour guide. Yet, when he found out Lisa was sick, Hassan immediately had the driver turn our little bus around to go back to our hotel.
You see, it turns out that by law, Moroccan tour guides are required to make sure their clients get any medical care they need. They have something of a, “leave no sick person behind” policy. So, Hassan not only came to our room to check on Lisa, and insist that all she had to do was say the word and he’d take her to a doctor. He then also went to the pharmacy to make sure she had absolutely everything she needed to get well as soon as possible.
So it was that, after taking a healthy dose of meds and sleeping much of the day, by the time evening rolled around, Lisa felt well enough to rally and venture out. “It’ll be good for me to get out a bit, and I think I feel well enough to join the gang for the evening,” she told me.
So, we all went to have some coffee and tea, before going out to dinner. Unfortunately though, not long after we arrived, Lisa’s body revolted. Which, led us to decide I’d take her back to the hotel and stay with her. Meanwhile, following their pre-dinner beverages, the rest of the crew would order, pick up, and bring back dinner for all of us.
At least that was my understanding.
Which is why, lacking any other information, as 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm came and went, I regrettably sent a hangry message … or three to the group.
It wasn’t until they finally returned to our hotel, with dinner, around 11:15pm, that I learned the rest of the story. It turns out, following the coffee and tea time, the gang went to see how the local Moroccans make perfume, with the option to buy anything they fancied.
I have to say, the ways we tugged the threads linking our tour group together that day, had us dancing quite the jig!
If only I’d taken some pictures of these events, I could put them in a reel set to some upbeat Irish folk music. And share it with everyone. Which cracks me up just thinking about it! But I digress.
Which leads me to a quick, though related, aside. Namely how I believe:
Prayer is, at least, an inner, energetic acknowledgement of how everyone is connected. Paired with, choosing to send loving energy from your end of the invisible threads between us, to the other.
What do you think?
That said, the “aha” moment I had while watching Shrinking, really opened my eyes in a new way to the profound impact we have on one another. While this is especially true of the people we interact with the most. It is also true of those we encounter infrequently, or only briefly, as well as people all around the world, whether we know them or not.
This realization led me to ponder something I’d like to leave you with:
How can I be more conscious of the ways I tug the threads between me and others? So I can brighten all of our lives with more love.
And before you go, please let us know what this stirred up within you in the comments below. You matter, and we’d love to hear your thoughts! Also, please don’t forget to “like” 🤍 and share/restack this post if it spoke to you. And most importantly, you’re amazing and I hope you have a beautiful day!
Hugs & Love,
Lang