The Joy of Community

This right here. This is what it’s all about.

When I get caught up in the logistics of making things work and schedules and dates and times and people and their complaints and my pet peeves, I’m brought back to ground zero by something like this.

A coworker at a local company has been going through some health challenges and is facing some pretty major medical bills, so her coworkers chose to rally. They showed up this morning in force with tables and handmade signs and a crew of kids and a load of baked goods to raise some money for their friend. They had men to set up canopies and do the heavy lifting. Coworkers brought a steady parade of baked good donations. And customers poured in.

Because this is who we are. As a small town, as a tight knit community, there is something in our hearts that cry, “Let me help. How can I help?”

You know, sometimes I get frustrated with how slow-paced and quiet our sleepy little lake town can be. We work so hard with our business to build events and create a buzz. To stir people up to get out, meet people, do something fun. But this proves it. This area isn’t motivated by selfish pleasure and an incessant need to be entertained. It’s motivated by love. By compassion. By showing up for its people. And it will break my heart in the best of ways every time.