#reverb10 ~ Day 7 ~ Community

 Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011? (Author: Cali Harris)

Upon reading this today my mind began to swim.  How many times have I said this year, how fortunate I am to be a part of this great blog community.  I've come across so many amazing, creative and generous people and it has enriched my life.

We belong to communities both by choice and by design.  The ones that we focus on are the ones in which we participate everyday.  Our schools, neighborhoods, places of employment and churches, are all communities.  As my kids have grown and gotten involved in more and more activities I find that I run into many of the same families in different contexts.  It is like there is a parental synchronicity.

 There are also mostly silent communities that go unnoticed.  One such group are the families at our local shelter, which this year is bursting at the seams.  Through the idea of a friend, the gentlemen of  our neighborhood community rolled up their sleeves and cooked a hot breakfast for the women and children just before Thanksgiving.  A few short hours made an amazing difference, giving these kids a hot breakfast before school.

A blog community friend looked into helping some families in need, when asked, the items on the children's wish lists were essential items like warm clothing.  She was so touched that she enlisted the blogging community and began a collection of gifts for children in four families to help give them a beautiful Christmas.  I then began to reflect on the increasing population of elderly in our country.  Those in there second childhood, who are often alone and forgotten.   This is especially difficult for me to contemplate this year.  Our family dynamic has changed with the loss of gram in October and I begin to contemplate how this hole effects us.  Some of these aging adults, don't have a child who cares for them 24 hours a day.  Many have outlived their families.  After seeing a post from a friend on facebook (yet another community), I found out about the adopt a senior program.  I eagerly ran and pulled an ornament, then prepared a gift and a card for my selected senior. 

I've always enjoyed opportunities to give back through community service.  As an adult with two young kids, time is always scarce.  I realized that the time necessary is minimal to make a big impact for even a single person.  The best way to do it is schedule it.  Many of us are here because we feel drawn to write, create and express ourselves.  Write it down.  Prioritize it.  Make giving back to the community,  part of what you manifest going into 2011.