"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give"-Winston Churchill
Last night, I hosted my second pot-luck dinner.
The whole day was filled with excitement, getting the house ready to host guests, preparing a yummy meal to share, and just the anticipation of what the evening would hold.
Let me begin by saying that it was one of the loveliest evenings I have had in Bozeman thus far. If you build it, they will come, and come they certainly did! It began with a slow trickle. The first awkward moments. Will anyone show up? Is there enough food? What am I going to say? We all experience it. Panic. Then as if all at once, the flood gates broke and great wave of folks came pouring in. The panic fades, the questioning subsides and the embracing of the evening ahead sets in. Front door, back door, so many wonderful people bringing lovingly made food, ready to embrace the unknown.
I have to chuckle. Rewind to October. I hosted a small Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. My roommate, Caroline, and I, having just just recently moved into our new home, had no furniture. Our dinner was served picnic style around a rug. We joked about having dinner parties, where our guests were to bring their own chairs. Now, flash forward to last night, where everyone was content to sit on the floor in one giant circle, talking, mingling, eating and laughing. One person mentioned how I ought to get rid of the chairs entirely, as the floor was all a person could ever need. I think as long as you are in good company, the furniture and surroundings no longer are of importance. They become background, forgotten, non-existent.
I have to chuckle. Rewind to October. I hosted a small Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. My roommate, Caroline, and I, having just just recently moved into our new home, had no furniture. Our dinner was served picnic style around a rug. We joked about having dinner parties, where our guests were to bring their own chairs. Now, flash forward to last night, where everyone was content to sit on the floor in one giant circle, talking, mingling, eating and laughing. One person mentioned how I ought to get rid of the chairs entirely, as the floor was all a person could ever need. I think as long as you are in good company, the furniture and surroundings no longer are of importance. They become background, forgotten, non-existent.
New friends were made that evening, incredible conversations were had, bellies filled with sweet love. I sunk into bed, weary but smiling, my heart filled with light. As I drifted into sleep, I thought about how incredible we are to have the capacity of bringing people in. All it takes is for one person. Each of us, with palms open, embracing one another, whether friends or strangers, and saying "I want to know who you are. What is your story?"
Curiosity.
As children, we are fearless, asking questions. Going up to strangers. Taking a closer look and wondering. Where along the line of growing up, do we lose that curiosity and the fearlessness of approaching others? Is it a learned behaviour? Or do we simply lose interest, for as we grow, we are over-stimulated by so much in our surroundings? I wonder. Upon looking back, I realize that there are great periods where my curiosity sat on the back burner, but as of late, I have begun to renurture that seed. This world, all the people and places around us, from the exotic to right outside our doorstep, holds so many mysteries, discoveries and stories. How can we not be curious to it?
Somedays, while out walking, I feel that I am seeing a place for the very first time. I notice details that go overlooked, I hear an accent from a passerby speaking, and wonder where they are from, what brought them to this place and what they have seen. I notice the twinkle in a persons eye, and am curious to the things they have experienced. Never stop being curious, strike up a conversation with a stranger, maybe the person in the grocery store, a passerby, or even your neighbour. For you never know what you might discover.
I feel as folks departed into the night, back to their homes, or onto the next escapade, they left feeling full. Not just of food, but of life! That wonderful feeling of sharing an evening in the company of others. I shall remember this gathering for years to come, and feel inspired to keep these dinners happening. In a word, I would say the night was nourishing. In both mind, body and soul.
Curiosity.
As children, we are fearless, asking questions. Going up to strangers. Taking a closer look and wondering. Where along the line of growing up, do we lose that curiosity and the fearlessness of approaching others? Is it a learned behaviour? Or do we simply lose interest, for as we grow, we are over-stimulated by so much in our surroundings? I wonder. Upon looking back, I realize that there are great periods where my curiosity sat on the back burner, but as of late, I have begun to renurture that seed. This world, all the people and places around us, from the exotic to right outside our doorstep, holds so many mysteries, discoveries and stories. How can we not be curious to it?
Somedays, while out walking, I feel that I am seeing a place for the very first time. I notice details that go overlooked, I hear an accent from a passerby speaking, and wonder where they are from, what brought them to this place and what they have seen. I notice the twinkle in a persons eye, and am curious to the things they have experienced. Never stop being curious, strike up a conversation with a stranger, maybe the person in the grocery store, a passerby, or even your neighbour. For you never know what you might discover.
I feel as folks departed into the night, back to their homes, or onto the next escapade, they left feeling full. Not just of food, but of life! That wonderful feeling of sharing an evening in the company of others. I shall remember this gathering for years to come, and feel inspired to keep these dinners happening. In a word, I would say the night was nourishing. In both mind, body and soul.
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