Spirituality to me is a feeling of connection, of being connected with
something in my life. Religion aside, I personally feel in my spirit that
there is an energy that connects all life, and some bonds are stronger
than others. Feeling the connection of those strong bonds is feeling
spirituality.It is our experiences in life that create connections. What
gives me peace and fulfillment is feeling and cultivating these
connections. A good example is a pet. Think of how much peace and
enjoyment you feel when you are connected with your pet. Just holding
your cat, dog, or even spider (Hey, spiders can be cute and cuddly!
Well.. maybe..), brings such a feeling of happiness and of being
connected with another living being. They are more than just animals that
we care for; they are members of our families and important parts of our
lives. For me, that is an obvious extension of spirituality.These
feelings of connections are also often felt strongly among family members
with whom we are close.I have a strong connection with my mother. She
gave birth to my twin sister and me when she was 19, and I always felt
her more of a close friend than a typical mother. I could always talk to
her about anything, and that feeling of connection, or spirituality,
comes into play in our relationship whenever we talk with one another. We
can talk about nearly anything, and even if we don't see eye to eye on a
particular subject, I just feel close to her when we talk. Often while I
was in college I would use up an entire phone card on a conversation with
her. One experience I shared with my mother made me feel especially
connected with her - her kidney transplant in December 2004. My entire
family came together in support, and although we were all frightened by
what might be, we stood strong together. A few members of our family were
tested for donor compatibility, but we all found our own ways to lend
support. My Mom's brother was a perfect match and donated his kidney.
Thankfully, they both made it through surgery fine and are both perfectly
healthy now.I have strong connections with others in my life, including
my husband and my twin sister. The thing about connections is that they
form in different ways. Each connection is unique and offers its own
rewards.If I were to think about what I consider to be the "meaning of
life," it wouldn't be to be a "good person" or to do good deeds. It would
be to seek out and nurture connections with other life. That feeling of
union and bonding would lead to wanting to live a better life, to wanting
to improve the quality of life for those with whom you feel that
connection.Spirituality is about connections. Humans are a social group,
and our concepts of soul-mates and fate are proof that we seek
connections with others, regardless of whether those concepts are real or
true. In general, we are happiest when we feel connected with other life,
and that kind of happiness can lead to an altruistic outlook as we seek
to maintain those connections.