Care and Connection Mindful Sharing Circles

It is well named – The Sharing Circle! Rarely do we get a chance to sit with a group of people whose only goal is to talk seriously, often with humor, always respectful and in any direction, for a couple of hours. There is no pressure, no preparation, and no expectation. The circle is a  welcoming, enriching experience under the gentle guidance of Jennifer who also pours tea! It’s what the world needs now – more C’n’C (Care and Connection).

The world can feel really dark and hopeless these days. But one antidote to getting down about the state of the world is participating in community. Care and Connection offers some opportunities to connect with and help each other. I have been on the giving and receiving ends of care and connection and it has really helped me! We all could use a little extra love and support sometimes. Community is the antidote to so many ills.

At a time of great upheaval in my life, I looked for people who I could feel comfortable with, people having similar values. I started attending a singing group, “Circle of Song”, led by a Unitarian. This attracted me to start attending Sunday services and events. Someone in the congregation shared, with me, his experiences of receiving support and then becoming a volunteer with Care and Connection, that supports people in times of difficulty, as well as sharing in their joys by sending cards at celebratory occasions. I liked that this community placed value on that. I became a volunteer with this committee and felt good to be involved in contributing to making someone’s life a little easier and giving them a sense that they are cared about, that they are not alone. In doing this I got to know more people, gained a sense of purpose and feeling of belonging for myself.  I am grateful for this opportunity I have had to give and receive through Care and Connection.

What makes this work is the willingness and commitment of people to volunteer to send a card, make a meal, a phone call, a visit, a ride or pick up groceries. It allows the compassion and care in our community to thrive.

I’ve been a member of our Saskatoon Unitarians community since the mid-1980s and have had various types of involvement, including two years as president during COVID. That gig was one of my biggest challenges. I keep connected because I believe in our principles and our efforts to act on them in our everyday lives, even though we’re not perfect and occasionally we annoy one another and can’t always act in the way we want. Right now, in the context of a world crisis, the existence of Unitarian Universalists here in Saskatoon and across the planet gives me hope.