Having a tribe is such a wonderful thing. Having many tribes that fit different areas of your life is even better. One dictionary definition of a tribe is: a class or set of persons, especially one with strong common traits or interests. I would like to take this one step further and add: A class or set of persons with common values and goals. Tribes can consist of family and friends, close associates and I am sure there would be other defining groups or definitions that you could think of but for me, this would be my definition of a modern tribe that relates to my life.
I have a few tribes that are in my life and love all of them. As we move through our lives, our tribes ebb and flow and change like a current because everything changes all the time.. Lives change, needs change, people change, so of course the Tribes also change.
Your family may be one tribe. I consider family my core tribe. They are always there, always growing and changing and there for support when asked for help. They are the prime concern for me… my family tribe is the most important one and comes first. There is a bond with our family that, even if we don’t see each other often, if one member of our family has a need, we are always there for them. At the same time, everyone in our family has their own lives, their own families to take care of so they have their own tribe to be concerned about first as well. Like a Celtic knot, the loops are infinitely interchanging and separate and yet always connected.
I have a tribe of wonderful friends that I have known for many many years. We have seen each other though children, grandchildren, happiness, sadness, sickness and more. These are friends that we see as often as we can get together and occasionally all of us see each other at the same time .. of course, then it is usually a party or some special occasion. Of course we have had the brief moments in time that we had to gather for sad events, but always, the bond is there. The knowing that if any of us needed anything, the tribe would be there. Of course every person you connect with in your own tribe, has tribes of their own. It reminds me of Spirograph when we were kids.. making circles that would be never ending with more circles within and without.
Another tribe is a group of wonderful lady friends that meet for coffee on Friday mornings. Sometimes in person, but most often on Zoom so those that are no longer local can still keep close contact. This tribe was born from a small group of people that used to meet for coffee many years ago on Friday mornings.. this group has morphed and changed a few times over the years and now has formed into this this wonderful group of women with common values, support and positive reinforcement. We laugh,we share, we talk, we support each other. We all are at different stages in our lives, some have independent businesses, some retired, some work, some pursuing new wonderful goals. Sometimes only a few of us can join for coffee, and others there is a huge roomful. I love that I can join with these wonderful women on this day and enjoy each other’s company. It lifts my spirit and mood for the week and I am thankful for all the wonderful people I meet as this tribe grows and changes. This tribe spreads out even further with each of us having our own separate lives, friends, family and other tribes that we connect with.
I have a tribe of lady friends that i love to meet up with when I can over coffee, a meal or a walk, Either I have known them for many years, through either business or personal interactions or met more recently and and am just getting to know them.
I have a few tribes in my business life. I have client tribes, networking tribes, virtual tribes and every one impacts my life in some way. I love connecting with them as much as possible. Sometimes I lose track and when that happens I try to connect in one way or another. It is wonderful to reach out, just to say hello and find out how someone is doing. That is how we connect and grow.
My life is blessed with so many amazing people. Evidently we are all connected by 6 degrees of separation. Such a wonderful web we weave as humans. So if you are in one of my tribes, thank you! If we are not connected in any way yet, I invite you to reach out to me. Have a wonderful day connecting with all your tribes.