Are you friends with everyone in your town? Your state? Your country?
Of course not.
But when you travel abroad and you find someone from your country, your state, or *gasp* from your SAME FLIPPING TOWN… you instantly feel a connection. There is a sense of connectivity because you have something in common. You know the same language, maybe even the same slang and lingos used at home.
There’s a known familiarity. In a foreign surrounding you get a feeling of belonging.
The above example is just an example of how strong this need to connect is between people and it varies between individuals.
So the next time a friend of family member reaches out to you, go ahead and connect with them. Perhaps they’re going though a change in their lives where they’re just looking for a sense of belonging.