In honor of The Three Tomatoes’ 20^th anniversary, this is a good time to concentrate on what holds us all together and makes us a formidable, successful group—connection. The theme of connection and community underscores everything I’ve read about successful, meaningful, enjoyable aging. Friendships, family, and groups are themes that are part of life.

Lucy and Ethel; Rachel, Monica and Phoebe; Betty and Wilma. What do they all have in common? They were—are—lifelong friends. Somewhere out there almost any day you can find a rerun of these great friends supporting each other, sometimes annoying each other, but always there in the end.

Connection is also important in the workplace. Before Covid, Communities of Practice were very popular. People would gather in small groups, around the water cooler, in the lunchroom, to exchange ideas and opinions. The more of these conversations existed, the stronger and more creative the organization became.

Connection in Action

Connection, in a broader sense, involves kindness. I have always been impressed with the Mennonites. When disaster strikes, the Mennonites just show up and start working. They don’t ask disaster victims what they need. They just ask which room to start in and do what needs to be done. I heard a similar story about a small town. When someone died, people just showed up at the family home armed with cleaning supplies and got to work.

When the pandemic hit, and New Yorkers went into lockdown, Cheryl Benton thought about the single women who were part of her Three Tomatoes community and started a virtual cocktail hour where women could have a sense of connection, get support, laugh and share video and book recommendations. When one member became seriously ill, the group created a video to remind her that she had a supportive community.

Tomatoes Together

As The Three Tomatoes has grown and activities have expanded, connections have deepened. Together, we’ve learned from the Renewal Summit and discussed, shared and incorporated new practices. We read, review and support books published by Three Tomatoes Publishing. The authors connect at regular meetings to share their progress and exchange tips.  Guest speakers, theater, backstage tours, and the annual wine tour are some of the activities that bring Tomatoes together and create new connections. These connections create the friendships so important to us all.

They keep us strong and healthy. These are the people who help us get through life. They’re the ones who help us make hard decisions and recover from disasters and take care of ourselves and rise to greatness.

Here’s to another 20 years of fun, love and connection!