With so much to keep our community strong as a whole, the individuals within it must not forget to keep it that way

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One of the joys of living in Moncton is the well-defined sense of community that exists here. Whether we have grown up in the city or chosen it as the ideal place to raise a family or settle into retirement, it is not difficult to find ways to belong.

A community is a group of individuals with common interests, characteristics or history, according to the dictionary, but it is also more than that. It is a place where those individuals feel free to express their ideas, feel safe enough to fall down and get back up, and to feel able to reach out a helping hand to another member of the community.

Here in Moncton, we do share common interests. Culture, bilingualism, protecting the environment, these are all important to us, however our opinions differ on these issues. The frequency with which they are included in conversation and debate shows just how much these common interests bind us together.

Likewise, there are certain characteristics shared by most of the residents of this city. We generally value compassion for others, giving one's talents to better the community and hard work. These common attributes mean that we can celebrate and support those who exemplify them best within the community.

Some might argue that sharing a common history, in the broadest sense, is difficult, given the nature of this region's settlement. The lasting tensions between French and English, or between those of European descent and our native peoples seem to be an obstacle.

But it is these tensions that act as bonds, like figurative elastic bands, pulling us together the more we struggle to pull apart. We may have different perspectives on what constitutes our history, but we are all undeniably linked by this shared background.

Moncton is a strong community because of these commonalities, but when we are focused on finding these common threads with others, with remaining united as a group, the community is virtually indestructible.

Now that we have built these bonds, we must remember to maintain them.