We were discussing the Life360 app with our grandson. It is a popular family and location-sharing app that allows you to track family and friends on your cell phone. It’s a way to see where your group is located. My grandson said, “You had the same thing. You just looked to see where the bikes were piled up.”

Who is your group? Who is your pile of bikes or group on Life360?

Family is one group. I think we can all agree, families are complicated. There are huge families and small families, there are tight-knit families and families who don’t talk to each other. I was visiting with a friend that had a child and spouse disown them for their religious beliefs. That’s a tough one. Is your family your group?

Religion or Church is a group. In one of my jobs, I traveled to visit churches across the Dakotas. I can tell you there are warm and cold churches, and it has nothing to do with size. Does your church welcome new faces in the rows or just welcome those people they know? There are also what I call, come and go churches. People have little interaction and families get out the door when the service is over. There are people who go to small groups and Bible studies, but don’t attend church services. Is religion or church a group for you?

Close friends are a group. Some have one or two close friends; some have a flock of friends. I see wedding pictures with 15 attendants on each side. They either have a passel of friends, or they are terrible decision-makers.

Colleagues can be a group.

Service clubs or serving on boards can be a group.

Fans of a sport team or having common interests (photography, coins, on-line gaming) can be your group.

A breakfast or coffee klatch can be your group.

My grandma lived in a rural area and their phone was a “party line.” Each family had a certain ring, so they knew when to answer the phone. But you could actually listen in on other’s conversations. It was my grandma’s favorite hobby and she would scold us grandkids if we were too loud. She didn’t want to be caught listening in. She was part of a secret in-line group.

I think most people seek community. It gets harder as we age and are less connected. Technology has made us more connected, but I think there is less feeling of true community. Life360 is different than a pile of bikes, because we were actually together.

In October we had a wonderful trip to Italy. One of my favorite nights was finding an Irish Pub. Our server was great fun and even put American football on one of the TVs. The pub was very crowded and a father and son from Saudi Arabia asked if they could share part of our booth seating. Americans in Italy, sitting in an Irish Pub, and sharing seating with Saudis. Huh, it’s almost like the world can be a group – together.

Find or create a group that makes you feel connected and fulfilled. Pile up your bikes somewhere.