The headlines tell one story.

A story of division, conflict and uncertainty. A story that can sometimes feel scary and more than a little disheartening.

But the story I experience most often is a different one. It’s a story about people helping one another, building relationships and finding common ground.

I was reminded of that recently while flying home to Raleigh after a trip to Bozeman, Montana.

On the second leg of my trip which was scheduled to depart at 9:30pm, I settled into my aisle seat in Row 7 and noticed a young family making their way down the plane. When I realized a mom traveling with a newborn was about to sit beside me, I’ll admit my first reaction wasn’t my best. I quietly prepared myself for what I assumed might be a long flight.

Then something wonderful happened.

Before the mom had even finished getting settled, the woman in the window seat excitedly offered to hold the baby so she could organize her things and get comfortable. That simple act of kindness sparked a conversation that lasted nearly the entire two-and-a-half-hour flight.

They talked about church, the instruments they each played, raising children and the other interests they discovered they shared. They laughed, listened and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know one another. Watching them, you might have assumed they were longtime friends instead of two strangers who had just met.

As we prepared to deplane, they exchanged first names and wished each other well. The young mother was headed to the Outer Banks to spend a week with family and friends. The woman in the window seat was headed home.

It was a simple interaction, but I haven’t stopped thinking about it. What began with an offer to hold a baby became a meaningful connection between two people who otherwise might never have spoken. At a time when we hear so much about what divides us, I watched two strangers discover how much they had in common.

The experience stayed with me because it reminded me of something I see every day in my work. The nonprofit sector is powered by people choosing connection. They volunteer, give, serve, listen, share what they know and show up for their communities.

Last week, I met with the founder of a nonprofit in Charleston, South Carolina. A physical therapist by training, she recognized that many older adults needed more than physical activity. They also needed companionship, encouragement and connection.

She shared how hundreds of volunteers are helping older adults stay active and engaged through something as simple as a neighborhood walk. Together, they have created thousands of opportunities for conversation and friendship.

What stayed with me wasn’t the number of volunteers or even the thousands of walks. It was the richness of the relationships formed along the way.

The walks provide important physical activity, but the conversation, consistency and companionship often make the greatest difference. Those relationships aren’t one-sided, either. The volunteers’ lives are enriched by the wisdom, friendship and experiences shared by the older adults walking beside them.

As I listened, I thought again about the two women on the airplane. Meaningful connections often begin with the simplest choices: to help, to listen, to start a conversation or to spend time with another person.

Across the Southeast, I see nonprofit professionals, volunteers, donors, board members and funders making those choices every day. They share ideas and resources, celebrate one another’s successes, make introductions and offer support when challenges arise.

Creating opportunities for those connections to happen matters. Whether it’s a conversation over coffee, a conference gathering or a discussion like Across State Lines, we are stronger when we take time to learn from one another. New ideas emerge, relationships grow and our collective ability to serve our communities expands.

The headlines may not always tell this story, but goodness is all around us. I see it in a stranger offering to hold a baby. I see it in volunteers walking alongside older adults. And I see it every day throughout the nonprofit and philanthropic community.

Connection begins with a choice. Each time we make that choice, we make our communities a little stronger.

Join Armstrong McGuire on September 30 for Across State Lines, a free virtual conversation bringing philanthropic leaders from across the Southeast together to share what they are seeing, funding and prioritizing right now.

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