Craig Ruvere

“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” – Brene Brown The people we choose to surround ourselves with, the relationships we tend to foster, often reflect our own personal beliefs and values. The connection two people share is bred from commonalities – interests, religion, background, morals and the list goes on and on. Regardless of the relationship – romantic or platonic – that connection is often an indicator to the longevity of the pairing. However, if the connection is bred out of falsehoods, created in order to unfairly secure the attention of another, one will rarely derive sustenance and strength from the relationship. Loneliness…

“Those we love are never really lost to us - we feel them in so many special ways. Through friends they always cared about and dreams they left behind. In beauty that they added to our days...in words of wisdom we still carry with us and memories that never will be gone. Those we love are never really lost to us - for everywhere their special love lives on.” - Amanda Bradley This Christmas, while strolling through a store to buy my wife a new pair of slippers, I stumbled upon something quite unexpected. It was a stand-alone plaque which read “Soulmates” across the top, with a picture frame inset right beneath it. On the left-hand side read the following quote: “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.…