What a week it has been! I hope everyone has been having a wonderful time celebrating Halloween and enjoying the crisp, fall air; I know I have! It was a pleasure to create seasonal crafts with the prison group, Common Art, and Café Emmanuel this week. I really noticed an atmosphere of community and generosity.

I saw the women at the prison teaching each other how to draw pumpkins and make pop-up cards for their children. I watched the community at Common At create birthday and Halloween cards for one another in order to show their appreciation. I saw them hug and exchange expressions of delight. At Café Emmanuel, I saw how excited the men were about sharing their elaborate costumes, re-living happy memories and laughing about them together. The common element between the three groups was that everyone was focused on helping their friends. Seeing these things was like nourishment for my soul. I came in feeling exhausted and stressed from school, but I left each activity with lifted spirits and feeling refreshed. This was not because these populations did anything to help me specifically, but rather because it brought me so much joy to see them connecting to each other. It’s a beautiful thing to truly witness the love of kind and caring hearts. I look forward to watching this unfold as we get closer to the holidays. Until then, I hope you have a lovely weekend!

Many blessings, Evey