What Is Belonging?

Belonging is a basic human need–we thrive when we are part of a tribe and in the days of saber tooth tigers, our survival depended on it. At our core, we want to feel seen, accepted, and embraced for who we truly are. Yet many of us move through life carrying the quiet ache of feeling like outsiders—whether in our families, our communities, or even in our own hearts. That sense of disconnection can leave us doubting ourselves, spinning in worry, or questioning if we’ll ever truly fit in. As a raregiver, you have likely experienced feeling like an outsider on a regular basis. It can be tricky territory to know how much to share with people who are not raregivers.

Do you share about your Rare child with your co-workers or do you omit the truth knowing that once you share, they will see you differently, that you will be “other” knowing that once people view you a certain way, there may well be no coming back from it. Perhaps you are a person who immediately blurts out that you have a Rare child–wanting people to know so you can be seen for who you are in your wholeness. Sometimes this backfires because people who do not have Rare children likely don’t understand which leaves you feeling separate.

True belonging, however, doesn’t begin outside of us. It begins within. Brene’ Brown said, “True belonging is the spiritual practice of believing in and belonging to yourself so deeply that you can share your most authentic self with the world and find sacredness in both being a part of something and standing alone in the wilderness. True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.”

As Raregivers, we offer the gift of belonging simply by holding space—for ourselves and for each other. When we create circles of acceptance and love, we remind one another of the truth: you are welcome here, exactly as you are.

Please Join Us for the Women's Empowerment Circle every Tuesday at 10 am PST.

You may not realize how much you need the Raregivers community until you find it.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84782918881

We look forward to being with you soon.