Pinpointing happiness without connecting to yourself, nature, and others is difficult.
We’re genetically wired to build bridges. Ignoring our DNA results in both physical and mental health issues. Deb Dana states Connection with others is about belonging and creating a shared sense of safety. Belonging is not just a psychological state; it’s a biological need. Social connection is a necessary ingredient for a life of well-being.
This rings especially true in retirement, where many spend a disproportionate amount of time alone. 
Dina spotlights the importance of meaningful relationships in her recently published essay in Across The Margin, The Unforgotten.
It begins in the cemetery, which is more like a beautiful park with flower beds and foliage. It is a peaceful place to walk among the dead, whose faces are captured in pictures affixed to the headstones. I find myself looking at the photos of people who bear no relation to me, making a mental note of how long or short their lives were. Gazing at the pictures makes the experience a personal one, a reminder of the vibrant lives that once were.
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Enjoy the Holidays, and don’t forget to spend time building what matters.
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Dinamarie Isola is actively engaged in exploring the craft of storytelling. Through poetry and prose, she strives to tear down the isolation from silently bearing internal struggles. She received her BA in English/Writing and Communications from Fairfield University. In addition to her work as an investment advisor, Dinamarie has a blog, “RealSmartica,” to help others better understand personal finance. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Appalachian Review, Apricity Magazine, Avalon Literary Review, borrowed solace, Coachella Review, Courtship of Winds, Down in the Dirt Magazine, Evening Street Review, Five on the Fifth, Mixed Mag, MORIA Literary Magazine, Nixes Mate Review, No Distance Between Us, Penumbra Literary and Art Journal, Perceptions Magazine, Potato Soup Journal, Remington Review, Summerset Review, and Tulsa Review. Visit www.
