Social distancing and stay-at-home orders are affecting so many of us. Distance can too easily tip into isolation.

I’ve started a couple of email “circles,” just small groups of friends and family checking in via email as we feel able to. We are keeping up with each others’ health, work, and day-to-day situations.

It feels great. Social media can be a venue for this, too, but it’s easy (at least for me) to get distracted by all the content out there. Email feels a bit more intimate and focused. Text circles could be a great option – a few words to a group text, saying you are thinking of everyone and hope they are well.

We need our circles, and it feels good to connect. (Hey, good old-fashioned telephone calls work, too.)

Be well, be safe, be kind, be connected.