After a spectacular week in Richmond, Virginia, one of reunions with cousins and high school chums and even a seminarian, I am feeling overwhelmed.
As I reconnect with family and friends here as well as try to continue the relationships I touched in Virginia, I am reminded of Dunbar’s number, that we humans are really only capable of maintaining 150 relationships. Have I exceeded my limit? As an extrovert and Child of God, I hate to think my capacity for others has been reached.
Eventually as I ponder, I recognize my appreciation for the expansiveness of prayer. And thankfully, I too have had a Thomas Merton experience. Once at the cathedral when 200 or so of us were gathered for worship, I looked around and realized I knew the stories of joy and sorrow of about half those around me. I bathed in the deep loving care I felt for these dear ones. Then in a mere blink of an eye, I noticed the others and knew their stories were similar. I was absolutely flooded with warmth and intense love for all of them too. Time stood still.
Perhaps, as Dunbar suggests, in my human-ness I am only capable of maintaining 150 relationships, even with the help of social media. But in God-space with a wide-open heart, my fond connections are limitless and I can love billions.
Always Bridging 
This captures your warm, generous, loving spirit so beautifully, dear Penny – you are such a bright light! ! I am immensely grateful to be among the many people you’ve come to know throughout your life, and that we have stayed connected across time and space. Also, happy for you that you could reconnect with some dear people in your home state 🙂
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