At this particular milepost while navigating this path to a flourishing life, I remain unsettled on the most fitting name for the core group of people that are essential elements to our personal, professional, and spiritual journeys. In one of the first blog posts, Who’s In Your Posse?, I offer an explanation for my fondness of western-themed shows and movies, which means the term posse is still in the lead; however, there are other compelling options, and my word-nerdiness desires to land on the one word/phrase that truly captures the importance of the people I depend on the most in this world. So, let’s recap some of the possibilities I’ve thrown out so far and we can take a survey on which one has the most stickiness.

O’hana, tribe, squad, fifth-floor relationships, déjà vu people, parachute packer, group, team, allies, teammates, misfits,corner four relationships, or Amigos. Any of these choices might be appropriate; however, today I will offer another option based on Emily Freeman’s 2015 book, and the notes of Tuesday People that I penned during the reading. (I highly recommend investing the time to read her entire book, but just as a reference for this particular post, I encourage you to connect back to explanations in the posts of Simple Tuesday and Holding Space) for a starting place.

In describing the need for leaning into a community of people, Freeman shares, “I want Tuesday People in my life, not people I work to impress…The truth is, people need our with-ness. They don’t need for us to impress them with how spiritual we are. They need to know they aren’t alone. People need us to embrace a relational smallness, accepting we are not the star, the counselor, the convincer, or the fixer. Instead, we are a companion, willing to keep company with the soul of another. We need not compete, we need only to connect.” Does she not provide a perfect description of the relationships we all yearn to have? Some of my favorite moments of celebrating friendship are typically when engaging in Ordinary Time doing ordinary things on a Simple Tuesday.

Most of us Are Invited! to the special events in life, the dates that mark memorable milestones such as birthdays, weddings, baptisms and graduations, but the Tuesday People are the ones we get in over our heads with attempting to hang swings and lights on the back porch; the friends we can’t visual see through our bundles of layers attempting to keep us warm at a tennis match; the companions whose shoulders we lean on when devastation overwhelms us; the buddies that remain from high school thirty years later; and the students who turn into personal chefs and friends enjoying a meal around the table. Yes, I’m pretty sure that we all need to invest Relational Equity in Tuesday People; and I’m extremely concerned for Emerging Generations that as a result of technology, they seem to have fewer and fewer of these types of comrades in their life.

So, I ask myself what opportunities might be available for me to encourage others to find their own Tuesday People? Perhaps the mentoring/learning partner model is one avenue to explore; Being a Good Neighbor opens doors, literally, to blossoming friendships; communities of like-minded people like FaithWalk and Campers on Mission allow us to embrace Side-By-Side Conversations while also accomplishing important work. Are there other outlets you’ve discovered where you found your Tuesday People? Especially people who allow you to flounder and fail, laugh with (not at) your foolish attempts at life, and provide you with a hope that although life doesn’t appear to be flourishing today, that tomorrow the sun will rise and we can try again because we have a Creator that is much bigger than anything we face.

Freeman captures this hopeful sentiment when she says, “True hope doesn’t come from good results, positive outcomes, or sure wins. The hope that is deep and enduring is knowing we will be okay even if the results and outcomes aren’t a win. Charlie Brown is a Tuesday hero for the soul…He makes embarrassment okay, even endearing. He gives me permission to be small and humble but also inspires me to persevere. That’s the kind of hero I need when I’m discouraged on my everyday Tuesdays.” So, Tuesday People, like our friend Charlie, model the Habits of a Flourishing Life such as Awareness, Growth, and Resilience in ordinary ways? Perhaps we need to express our Gratitude to our Tuesday People today!

Would you choose the moniker Tuesday People or is there another phrase you’ve heard that seems most appropriate? Please feel free to share in the comments below.

Reference:

Freeman, E. P. (2015). Simply Tuesday: Small-moment living in a fast-moving world. [Kindle version]. Baker Publishing Group.