intertwining threads
by Sandra
Some morning after reflections:
Wow! Last night we threw a goodbye party for our house (yes, we’ve finally moved, more on that later). We set up audio equipment and folding chairs and some food and about eighty of our closest friends came to help us say goodbye, where they listened to musicians and spoken word artists and stand-up comedians and then finished the night dancing to a live DJ.
As far as parties go, it was a great one. And somewhere during the evening, maybe between snacking on baklava or seeing Chris smoking a pipe in Michelle’s old bedroom or rubbing elbows on the dancefloor with some people I had never met before, I just marveled at what a wonderous thing community is, and how fortunate I am to have lived in a house with roommates who were willing to open up the doors to people who were strangers, who quickly became friends.
Community. What an amazing thing it is, and I am constantly humbled by the deep connections that can be formed by opening one’s self up to others, whether it’s as simple as a sharing of the home of as deep as a sharing of the heart. The rewards far outweigh the hassles, the uncomfortabilities.
A couple of weeks ago, at Michelle’s birthday party, she said something about after so many years of priding herself on her independence, she finally decided that she didn’t want to be alone. After last night’s reminder, I heartily agree.
hi! this is betsy – we met at the turkey turkey fundaiser/dinner at small group. anyhow, i was thinking about u guys last night as the rain came pouring down. sounds like it didn’t affect your fun :).
And I also. 😦 Bye to House on 6th but only in its physical state. The spirit lives on!!! Yah!!!
Hi Betsy — thanks for stopping by! Thankfully it had stopped raining by the evening, but yes throughout the day we were all wondering how that was going to pan out. 🙂
Fae — Viva community!!
hey, sandra. no worries about the portland thing. i actually thought i forgot to ask you about it. and really i don’t think it could have gotten much better than powell’s. 🙂
this post really resonated with me. i’m trying to open myself up to community for probably the first time ever. i mean, i left smu because i was embarrassed about getting sick. but i guess i had the same realization as your friend michelle. still, i don’t know if i have the guts to go through with it. it’s terrifying, and my gut reaction is still to pull back.
Here’s to the Irving House. Smaller in size, hopefully even in heart, but one thing’s for sure – we have a backyard! 😛
Here’s my question: how in the sam hill, with all the hubbub, were the cops not called?
’cause it’s los angeles?