Join me today for 5 Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama where we write for five minutes on a given topic. No editing. No criticism. No worry. Today’s topic is: Community
I invited Community over tomorrow, so I’ve been thinking about her a lot. Sometimes she can be kind of fussy, so I always think twice before opening the door.
What do I wear? What do I bake? How am I going to decorate?
What about that big, blank wall that stares at me without any art? What will they think of that? Or the jelly stain on the kitchen chair that I scrubbed for hours to get out? Will they notice the crack in the ceiling or where I messed up the paint? What about my glasses with water marks that the dishwasher refuses to fix? Or the mismatched serving dishes that don’t match anything else?
Maybe I should find something to fit on that wall for the day. And maybe a slip cover will hide the stain. Is it time to fix that crack in the ceiling or get someone to help me paint? Maybe I should replace my glasses and throw in a platter or two.
But then there’s two women she’s bringing. Women who know no one at all. With courage their stepping inside with Community, holding her hand tight, and hoping to get to know her all the more.
I wonder if I’ve made Community something that she really isn’t at all. I judged her too quickly, I think, when really her arms are open wide.
Open to acceptance and love, that bring women together as they are. Open to a lifetime of pain that she wants to embrace. Open to whomever she meets, no matter if the the facade isn’t perfect. Open to sharing a piece of her life with another.
Tomorrow Community’s coming over. I invited her some time ago. When the door swings open I will embrace her with tattered and tired arms, to show her that my life’s not perfect. That’s why I need her all the more.
Tomorrow Community is coming over for the (in)RL conference. Can I admit to you that I’m a little nervous? How does community leave you feeling? How do you feel when community comes over? Please share with us in the comments!
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