I am apart of a women’s group who have been together now for over 40 years. We have seen each other through most anything life can throw at a person. I love them dearly. Leaving them for my runaway trip was very hard. Before I left, we gathered, and they gave me small gifts to take with me in the car. One woman, thinking I liked to eat the Easter candy (it was near Easter) called Peeps, gave me a package of four yellow bunny Peeps. I really don’t like the candy, but I said I would take the Peeps with me.

They proved to be great friends and fun to travel with. I set them on the seat next to me while I drove and sometimes-even talked with them. They are great listeners as I shared my hopes and dreams, my anxieties, and worries. I pointed out sites to them when I wished I had another human in the driver’s seat. They didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation, but their presence comforts me.

I decided that I would start including them in pictures I took, much like I would do if I had another human along with me. Each time I snapped their picture, I laughed. It is so fun to see how I could include them in a picture and who I could get to pose with.

I also met friendly folks through the Peeps. When I brought them out of my bag to snap a picture, I saw folks looking at me and at them. That helped to start a conversation and then I didn’t feel so isolated on my adventure. Other people laughed and shared a bit of themselves or helped me with the picture and I got to connect with others who are on a journey too. The Peeps helped me stay connected to others. And they kept me connected to those I love who were not with me as I shared the adventures of the Peeps.

When I look back at the pictures of the Peeps (many are here) I am reminded of how we can all connect in the moments of our lives. I can share the love of a certain flower with someone at a nursery, smile at a babe in a carriage, or nod at someone as we cross paths on a walk. Each time I am reminding that I am not alone, we are not alone, and that there is much more that can connect us than separates us. The challenge is to foster the connections in each of our own unique ways.