Kindred Spirits

K guarding her mistress, as she has done all of her adult life:

 
K with her brother R:

These pictures are from A Gift…, a post by KB, one of my favorite bloggers. K is the brown dog with the radiation scars on her left foreleg. She has osteosarcoma that has spread to her lungs, and in spite of that she’s still enjoying life. KB is acutely aware that their time together is short and writes touching posts about it. I check her blog for updates every day.

Last week at Transforming Stress we touched on the subject of kindred spirits. I’ve always been aware of the transience of life and consider anyone, whether in person or writing, that shares that awareness as a kindred spirit. I spend time with those people. What about you? Who do you hang out with?

Thanks to Rummuser, Evan, bikehikebabe, tammy, Nick, dcrelief, Cathy, Kate and Max for commenting on last week’s post.
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10 Responses to Kindred Spirits

  1. Evan says:

    I think the people I tend to hang out with are those I think are doing interesting things

  2. Nick says:

    True kindred spirits are very hard to find. There are many people who share my views on this and that, but that magical rapport between two souls that makes you feel truly connected is rare indeed.

  3. Rummuser says:

    On a regular basis, I hang out with my neighbours and good friends the Kachwallas and the Wadhwanis and a couple of other regulars at the park in the evenings. I however have a lot of others in my life who keep in touch through phone, email, chats, and who drop in to spend time with me and these form a wide spectrum in terms of age, occupation and interests. All of them challenge me to be alive.

  4. bikehikebabe says:

    Nick, you said that so well. There’s bound to be some differences. Though I guess you can have a kindred spirit friend & still be different if you accept their differences.

    Rummuser, you are a true socialite. If I had servants to do the work, I would be more social.

  5. Cathy in NZ says:

    I don’t see my kindred friends every day – nor do I want to! Some I see rarely but every time we have time out together, each of us I believes goes away with something worthwhile…

    Nor do I communicate with them all the time if they happen to be a world away…but I know they are available via email if I want to speak with them

    Life is like that friends drift in and out depending on where one is personally at on life’s journey.

  6. tammy says:

    oddly enough i have more kindred spirits through my favorite blogs on the web than i do in “real” life. but then… my blog friends are real too!
    my brother is my closest kindred spirit. he knows my heart.
    and my other kindred spirits have been beloved dogs in my life. they are still with me everyday in my soul.
    their eyes… their joy and their bravery…
    you could do far worse than to share your spirit with a beloved dog.

  7. dcrelief says:

    “Transience of life,” wow! there’s a book title! A stranger is someone I meet until he or she smiles back. Something about a smile brings out the best in me. To me the kindred spirit always smiles back.

    I hang out a lot with (my definition of) God. Of course that means the squirrels are involved; the gazebo makes a wonderful trysting place.(smile).

    I have a few friends I consider kindred, but like Cathy, I may not see them all of the time. It may require some scheduling but we well worth the effort.

    Lastly, this site is so comfortable and inviting. I enjoy reading what everyone is doing/ not doing, enjoying/ not enjoying… you get the picture?! People from all walks of life meeting here and, wow, isn’t it amazing?!! I love the fact that you share what’s going on with you, and then open the question to your readers, aka, kindred-reading-writing-friends. Thank you for doing that. ~ Dixie

  8. Jean says:

    Evan,
    Wise choice!

    Nick,
    I guess I’m not looking for magical rapport, just people/writings that resonate deeply in some area.

    Rummuser,
    Yes, you are blessed with a wide circle of friends. I’m happy for you.

    bikehikebabe,
    I’m even less social than you are, partly because I’m such a night owl. I’m so hopeless even servants wouldn’t help. 😀

    Cathy,
    Well said. 🙂

    tammy,
    I too love the web for getting in contact with kindred spirits. And even though I never had a dog of my own, some of my fondest memories are of dogs I knew at the local animal shelter. They still warm my heart.

    Dixie,
    Yes, sharing is what this (and my other) blog is about. Also, I too am very sensitive to facial expressions, especially smiles. One of my aims in life is to make my little corner of the world a bit friendlier. Thank you for joining us!

  9. Delirious says:

    In our religion, we believe that we lived as spirits before we were born. (Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Jeremiah 1:5) Because of that, I have always thought about how we must have known each other. Whenever I meet someone that I think of as a “kindred spirit”, I always wonder if we were also friends in the pre-earth life. 🙂

  10. Jean says:

    Delirious,
    Thank you for coming by and commenting! That’s an intriguing way of looking at it.

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