THE CONNECTION SPHERE

       Traveling hundreds of miles away from our home of Las Vegas, we finally made it through Nevada’s scorching desert to the White Pines Care Center. Located at the edge of Ely, Nevada, the city seemed to be masked in solitude, contradicting the lively city of Las Vegas. Despite this, we were determined to create connections with the residents through our talents in the arts.

       On the first day of our trip, we took turns playing our most mastered pieces as we paired up with the residents to engage in decorating fans with sparkling gems. My friends and I took part in making jokes to make our table laugh, putting on acts that would bring a smile to their eyes. The residents fairly enjoyed the craft that had been chosen for that day, taking charge of decorating their fans to their desire. As my table was immersed in the craft, I asked the lady I had been partnered up with if she had lived anywhere else before her current residence in Ely. She proudly answered that she had resided in Ely her entire life. She even added on the fact that the man beside her was her husband, and that he had also lived in Ely for his entire life. I was filled with shock and admiration as I learned of their upbringing. I also shared details of my life, finding similar situations that we had both faced.           As I stood up to admire our craft, I noticed that the woman next to me was passionately practicing the piece that was being played on the table. As my friends and I shared joyful exchanges, we asked her if she had ever played. She was grinning from ear to ear as she answered that she had played when she was younger. It was thrilling to realize that even without exchanging many words with the lady, we had already begun growing a connection due to our shared passions for music.

       The next day would be our last at Ely for the year. As we passed the rooms of many residents, we arrived at a new activity room. Due to the smaller space we were provided with, the space felt more intimate, a place where we could create deeper connections with the residents in a more personal setting. We started off our crafts with making keychains. Although it was a simpler craft, residents found it a much better craft to participate in due to its allowance for more creative freedom and simplicity. Residents handpicked all of their beads, inspecting them with such scrutiny. Due to the smaller setting of people on this day, my friend and I were placed with a non-verbal man. Despite finding challenges to communicating with him, we instead found our own way to express our thoughts through our crafts. We gifted the man our finished keychains, which he gently held out to hold. He carefully admired the beads with much admiration. Even though we had little to no success in the beginning to communicate with the man, we found an even more meaningful way of communication in the end.

       The session wrapped up with everyone in good moods. Overjoyed residents left the room, thanking us for spending the day with them. One particular resident left the room proudly displaying her gifted floral bouquet. Saying our goodbyes, we left the facility, excited to return the following year with our deepened understanding of connecting. The car ride home felt peaceful, knowing the knowledge and experience I had gained. Being miles away from home reminded me of the strength of connection: no matter the distance, we can always connect.