When people show up

I have no words. Ok, maybe a few words.

As a little girl, I didn’t have many friends. We were poor and lived in the richest county in Kansas City. I didn’t belong and never felt the true meaning of community.

But today… people showed up. We never expected them to, but they did it anyway.

They came from all over and served in the best ways imaginable. Some drilled holes with the tractor, some spread micorrhizal fungi powder, some shoveled their hearts out, some spread compost, some put trees in the ground, some tended the multitude of children, some cooked, and some cleaned. Everyone falling into the gifts that each can best offer.

It’s an amazing and humbling thing when people show up and you have done nothing to deserve it. They are simply saying, “I love you, and I’m here for you, and you don’t have to do anything for me in return.” It’s beautiful.

The hardest part is standing back, and taking it all in, and saying thank you… without feeling that we owe anything in return. Because if it were our community asking for help… we would do the exact same thing. And expect nothing.