Ten years ago, about a year after we started attending at Jeff St, some of the friends there began having regular meals together. The group changed in terms of who participated and who didn't, but there have always been at least four or five families taking part at a time. This photo today shows many of the folk who've taken part at one time or another.
We've met, 4-8 households at a time, for meals 1-3 times a week(ish) and, instead of preparing a meal for just YOUR family, you prepare enough for these others to take part, as well. Which meant that once or twice a month, you'd have a BIG meal to prepare for, but at least four times or so a month, you wouldn't have to prepare any meal.
It was a way of building community, of encouraging simplicity, of eating well and with much laughter and joy. We've had our children grow from infants to college, we've been a support group for one another, we've been there in good times and bad, we've played music, sang and danced together, we've played party games, written songs and poetry, taken field trips, helped one another move and, in general, been family for each other.
This sort of Community is a precious, life-giving thing. We must cherish it where we find it, and make it where it is lacking.
======
And speaking of community, one of my beloved church brothers, Kevin, has been added to my blogroll, over to the left. His blog is Connecting the Dots, and he's begun an interesting endeavor there: Posting photos and a bit of info about various autographs he has in his library. Be sure to check it out.
And speaking of things literary, also be sure to check out the Letters and Surveys blog (also in my blogroll), where Ms Brd (may I call you that?) has just announced the 2007 and 2008 winners of her own quite prestigious Ellstrom Award for Literature.
How 'bout it? Whose autographs do you have and how'd you acquire them? Who'd you nominate for a literature award, if you were to create one? And how do you celebrate, create and/or find community?
1 comment:
I can't believe that I missed this post from last February, with your kind notice of the Ellstrom Award for Literature, 2007 and 2008! Well, you'll be glad to know that it is almost time to announce the winner of the 2009 award. It is a most interesting contest going on in my mind. I even have a couple of graphic novels in contention, but just between you and me, they are not going to win!
BRD
Post a Comment