I have a new life
Chosen with intention
Called Living in Community
In my old life
It didn't matter if I read the paper too long in the morning and dashed away with my breakfast dishes in the sink and crumbs on the counter.
They would be there unaltered on my return and no one would have noticed.
In my old life
If I was tired, the sun called me outdoors or I spent an hour on the phone with a friend, it didn't matter that the floor wasn't swept, the bathroom mirror wiped or the dishwasher unloaded.
My priorities could shift on my whim, my mood, my momentary need.
In my old life
I could spend all Saturday morning with my coffee and the Globe and not feel guilty that someone else was vacuuming, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes or planting the garden.
In my old life
No one cared if I left my mouth guard in the bathroom sink, forgot to empty the garbage, updated the shopping list or ate the last cookie.
In my old life
I rarely woke to the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen nd no one kept the pancakes warm for me in the oven while I showered
In my old life
I didn't come home to the smell of short ribs simmering in homemade pasta sauce or opened the fridge to greens from the garden. No one vacuumed my bedroom or put fresh flowers on my dresser.
In my old life
There was no one to listen to my impromptu rants at the evening news, no one to beckon me for an evening walk, a spontaneous movie, an evening cup of tea.
In my new life
I live with a woman whose relationship to food includes delicacies I've never heard of, who considers mascarpone a staple and who regularly kisses a package of lamb or a box of special tea.
In my new life
I live with a man who lives graciously every day with a debilitating illness and whose wit and humour beguile the reality of his new life
In my new life
I live with a woman whose friendship has many years of rich deepening and whose commitment to our chosen community regularly restores my own
My new life, this community, includes a wider circle that have yet to challenge and nurture me in day to day living.
In my new life, I have chosen change and I am experiencing the discomfort of the loss of familiar routines, the independence of being a single, the sweetness of my own space.
I have also chosen to go down an unfamiliar road with amazing people who embody a spirit of compassion, integrity, curiosity, hope and joy in life.
How could I not be on this journey in this community?
Chosen with intention
Called Living in Community
In my old life
It didn't matter if I read the paper too long in the morning and dashed away with my breakfast dishes in the sink and crumbs on the counter.
They would be there unaltered on my return and no one would have noticed.
In my old life
If I was tired, the sun called me outdoors or I spent an hour on the phone with a friend, it didn't matter that the floor wasn't swept, the bathroom mirror wiped or the dishwasher unloaded.
My priorities could shift on my whim, my mood, my momentary need.
In my old life
I could spend all Saturday morning with my coffee and the Globe and not feel guilty that someone else was vacuuming, mowing the lawn, doing the dishes or planting the garden.
In my old life
No one cared if I left my mouth guard in the bathroom sink, forgot to empty the garbage, updated the shopping list or ate the last cookie.
In my old life
I rarely woke to the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen nd no one kept the pancakes warm for me in the oven while I showered
In my old life
I didn't come home to the smell of short ribs simmering in homemade pasta sauce or opened the fridge to greens from the garden. No one vacuumed my bedroom or put fresh flowers on my dresser.
In my old life
There was no one to listen to my impromptu rants at the evening news, no one to beckon me for an evening walk, a spontaneous movie, an evening cup of tea.
In my new life
I live with a woman whose relationship to food includes delicacies I've never heard of, who considers mascarpone a staple and who regularly kisses a package of lamb or a box of special tea.
In my new life
I live with a man who lives graciously every day with a debilitating illness and whose wit and humour beguile the reality of his new life
In my new life
I live with a woman whose friendship has many years of rich deepening and whose commitment to our chosen community regularly restores my own
My new life, this community, includes a wider circle that have yet to challenge and nurture me in day to day living.
In my new life, I have chosen change and I am experiencing the discomfort of the loss of familiar routines, the independence of being a single, the sweetness of my own space.
I have also chosen to go down an unfamiliar road with amazing people who embody a spirit of compassion, integrity, curiosity, hope and joy in life.
How could I not be on this journey in this community?
