Nandini and our boys
Sunday morning I spoke with my long-time friend, Nandini via Skype. She currently lives in Chennai, India. It’s wonderful to connect.
I shared this passage on Facebook:
Nandini and I worked together at a start-up called Pretzel Logic Software in 1995. We became fast friends, then first time moms when we had our boys just six weeks apart in 1997. We supported each other through those sometimes difficult and perplexing first months of parenthood. We met weekly for tea, pushed our strollers through the park, and enjoyed time at our respective homes. It was a sad parting when she moved back to Chennai in 2000 in order to support her aging family. I’m grateful for the technology that allows us to continue our conversations, and to marvel at the fact that those baby boys will soon turn 18.
That’s when all the connections (my word of the year) started rolling in.
When you tag someone in a photo on Facebook, their friends can see it too. After several lovely comments from my local friends, Nandini’s cousin, Sujatha left a few words. When she did, it showed that we had a mutual friend named Akila. Akila’s son attended pre-school with my younger son here in California. Incredible.
Akila joined the conversation, saying she knew Nandini’s cousin as a family friend. That’s when Nandini’s friend, Parvathi posted, saying she also knows Akila. Nandini knows Parvathi because their sons are schoolmates in India.
It’s been amazing discovering these connections throughout the day. I’m humming with the joy of it.
How about you? Have you uncovered an unexpected connection between a friend or colleague? Please share your story in the comments section, below.
- My Word of the Year: Connections
- Wiki: History of the Small Word or Six Degrees of Separation phenomenon
- SixDegrees.org Founded by Kevin Bacon, the site’s aim for good says:
Any one person is connected to any other person through six or fewer relationships, because it’s a small world. SixDegrees.org is about using this idea to accomplish something good. It’s social networking with a social conscience.
Gardening Nirvana 
What a lovely story! It is a small world and we are all connected – it’s so easy to forget sometimes! I can well imagine how buzzy you are feeling! 🙂 I also had a look at the website you linked to. It is good to see something like that as a celebrity initiative!
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Thank you, Pauline. I still can’t get over it.
I too was enamored with Kevin Bacon’s website. It’s nice to see a game turned into something positive and beneficial.
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I was so disappointed when they canceled Kevin Bacon’s series, Six Degrees of Separation. I so thought it was true. Though I have rarely experienced that. How delightful for you. Obviously your word, connection, this year was meant to be. Almost synchronistic. 🙂
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I didn’t know he had an actual series. Fascinating. I enjoyed reading the Wiki link and wish I had the time to explore all the links within links. Lots of interesting information.
I’ve just been for a visit to your blog. 🙂
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I love how social media can make our world a smaller place! Nothing like old friends, new friends and keeping in touch. I had heard of Kevin Bacon series but had never seen it before. Thanks for posting this information.
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My sentiments exactly: old friends, new friends and a way to stay connected, once relegated to letters that may have taken months to arrive.
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What a nice post, Alys! Yes, it is truly amazing to see how small the world is sometimes! Always felt that it is the likeness of mind and thought that keep people close to each other more than geographical distance:) Thanks for your post and your friendship:) Lots of love!
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Beautifully said, Nandini. Sending love across the miles.
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It really is a small world isn’t it. I’m still convinced somehow that we’ll find out we’re long lost relations, LOL That’s one thing I find amazing on these, “find your heritage” programs. People find out they’re related to interesting or historical events or figures.
I think I might have told you about this. When I met up with Kathryn, my blogging friend from Mexico, we discovered that her dad and my girlfriend Deb Lechky’s brother were best friends for years. They were both RCMP’s in service in the same mountain community. The wives, Kathryn’s mom and Deb’s sister-in-law Carol, remain good friends still. In fact Kathryn’s dad was the best man at Carol and Bob’s wedding.
That was such a surprise because as you know, there are millions of bloggers. Kathryn and I became friends even though she’s in Mexico thru our love of animals and her beautiful dogs. Turned out she was originally from Alberta. Turned out her parents are still here. Turned out her dad was best friends with Bob Lechky, my dear friends brother. WILD hey? xoxox
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I love the idea of us being related. Genetics aside, I know we’re connected in a profound way and was just thinking about your early blog posts today and here we are about to embark on our fifth visit together.
I love, love, love that story about you and Kathryn. What are the odds? It helps that you were both open and inquisitive and willing to meet and share stories. As you say, following someone who also loves animals is not a direct line to ‘I live in Mexico but I’m from Alberta and my dad is your friends brothers friend.” It blows my mind, but in a good way. I love this story.
xox
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Five ! Distance is only a number on a map for us ❤
Hey! I just remembered another 'small world' story. I used to work at another Scrapbook store in a community closer to the lake. I got to know one of the customers quite well, her name is Debbie. I just saw her at Urban last week too. Anyways, she's a great gal and we just really connected.
I asked her once about a recent holiday. Debbie starts telling me all about this nightmare flight from New York to Chicago. It was delayed in NY for bad weather and in turn, they missed their connecting flight to Edmonton from Chicago.
She begins to explain that, luckily her husbands Aunt lives in Chicago and put them up for the night. I said, "oh, I love Chicago and also have relatives there. My Aunty Tobaha and cousin Barbie live there." Debbie looks at me with big eyes and says, "wait a minute, is your aunts last name Borm?"
Well get this, Her husbands Aunt is my Aunty's sister…..freak me out. She then tells me how when Barbie came to pick up her mom (my Aunt) at her sisters house (my aunt doesn't drive) Barbie then offered to drive Debbie and family back to the airport in the morning.
So, I make friends with a scrapbook customer who's flight happens to be delayed in a city I have relatives. My relative and her relative are sisters and by coincidence they are visiting each other the same night Debbie is delayed in Chicago. Then my Cousin Barbie drives her to the airport the next day. Isn't that Wild!
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The six degrees of separation happens a lot in my job – both with colleagues who know people I’ve worked with around the world and students who have connections to others that I’ve known (again in other countries). The world is indeed a small place 🙂
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Helen, I didn’t know you were a teacher/professor. What a wonderful way to connect around the world. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
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Yes, it is an amazing job (well, in that respect.. ).
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That’s a wonderful story of connectedness. Speaking of connections, and degrees of separation, I signed up for this https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/lightbeam/ My stats show that since Feb 3 I have visited 37 sites and unbeknownst to me those visits have connected me to 264 third party sites. Not necessarily sinister but certainly gives one a weird feeling.
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Yes, i have been surprised by meeting friends or people who new our people all over the world…everytime it baffles me. And on a different level…to me blogging is all about finding and connecting with all those kindred spirits. And sometimes it is amazing and mind boggling too how parallel lives can be! Have a lovely weekend, Johanna
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I don’t have a story to share, Alys, but I sure do love this one!
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