“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.” — John Harrigan

When my close friend invited me to her daughter’s bridal shower, I realized I hadn’t been to an event like this — mostly with people I had never met — in more than two and a half years. The last party I attended was for my birthday at the beginning of 2020, before most of us heard of the coronavirus.

In the last two weeks, I had my first adventures in getting together with people who were not in my close circle. First, I accompanied my mother to her friend’s funeral and had lunch with her family and friends after the service. And yesterday, I went to the bridal shower.

By the night’s end, two things were very clear from being at both of these events. In-person interactions are extremely powerful, and it is inspiring to see people uplifting others. When together, remarkable moments happen, and positive memories are made. For too long, these moments were lacking from many of our lives — including mine.

When I walked into my friend’s backyard, I was blown away by the beautiful décor and attention to detail the bride-to-be’s friends invested in pleasing her. Their camaraderie and warmth were overflowing, but their sole goal for the evening was to bring happiness to the guest of honor before she walked down the aisle. They blew it out of the park, and I felt inspired to experience it.

My takeaway? The pandemic showed me I could survive on remote and socially distant connections, but coming together as a community to brighten each other’s lives has a power like no other.