08/03/2026
Word of the Week: COMMUNITY
I almost said no this weekend.
My friend invited our family to Donner Lake in Tahoe. Busy week. Work to catch up on. My first instinct was to stay home and be productive.
But I said yes.
And it was one of the best days I've had in a long time.
Paddle boarding on a stunning lake. Jumping in the water on a beautiful sunny day. Meals together. Years of catching up compressed into one perfect afternoon with people who matter.
I came home Sunday night feeling full in a way that no amount of productivity could have given me.
Here is what I want you to hear:
Community is not a nice-to-have. It is a primal need.
Research shows people with strong social connections live longer, recover faster from illness, have lower cortisol, and are significantly more likely to maintain healthy habits over time.
Community is not just emotional support. It is physiological medicine.
COVID taught me this. So did a patellar tendon rupture in 2019 & 2021 that left me sidelined and humbled. In both of those seasons I learned the same lesson:
We were not designed to do life alone.
The work will always be there. Your community might not.
Say yes this week to the invite you were going to decline.
Reach out to the friend you have been meaning to call. Show up for the people who matter.
And if you have been trying to figure out your health alone — stop. Ask for help.
That is not weakness. That is wisdom.
What community moment are you grateful for this
week?
Drop it in the comments.