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The Joy of Small Gatherings



When working on the website, and even before, I was told by a few friends and a sister, “You have to start blogging.” Why? About what? At first, the task seemed so daunting because the reality is, when you stare at a blank page, either physically on your desk, or the bright white sheet open on your computer screen, it is a challenge to fill that page with something meaningful and interesting and insightful. And, while I’ve come to realize that all those are great goals, sometimes I’ll hit those marks and sometimes I won’t, it’s the act of writing and reflecting (or perhaps that should be reflecting and writing) that has a great power, meaning, and process. So, while I’ve only posted a few blogs, I have a long list of potential topics to write about – including blogs about butterflies and LiteBrite, the lack of grey space, working in the grey space, what we want to be true, and why I’ve come to realize that waking up at 5 am may really be a good thing.

But, of course, I’m not going to write about any of that now.

Over the Christmas holiday, I was alone while the kids were visiting grandparents with their dad on the West Coast. I never really thought about it, but a person alone, with no family around during the holidays cuts a sympathetic (or maybe it’s just pathetic, not sure) figure, and so, you get invited to lunch, dinner, dessert after Christmas dinner, and a few calls and texts to “make sure you’re ok.” First, this reminds me to be thankful and grateful for community of friends I have here and elsewhere that check in on me. They know me well enough that being alone isn’t my greatest strength, though I’m getting better at enjoying the silence (but, quick aside, have you noticed, that the silence in winter especially is especially silent?).

Over the course of a few days, I had wonderful meals with old friends, coffee with a new friend, and a wonderful lunch of homemade soup and board game time with another neighbor. All this time couldn’t have been more warm and full and hopeful if there were 50 people there. Always having had a lot of family around and loving the many aunts, uncles, and cousins, it’s taken me time to appreciate the beauty of smaller gatherings. The warmth and affection that can be felt regardless of the size of an event or group when the right people are together.

So, as the old year turns into a new year and the day light lingers a little longer, we hope that you had a wonderful holiday, enjoyed all the moments wherever and with whomever you were with, and maybe some of your wishes came true. We’ll look forward to seeing you sometime, somewhere this next turn around the sun.





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