This week at common art the unexpected departure of one of our beloved community members was announced. We were told that he had found a job and had just moved to start it. It was his wish to leave without telling many people and to leave no contact information. While I have only been at the program now for two months, I felt this loss greatly. He had worked as our barista, our food liaison, if you will. He served the community coffee and meals with a smile and could often be heard laughing.

When I began, he quickly learned how I liked my coffee and started bringing it to me every morning without my even having to ask. He did this for many people, so I suspect that they appreciated it as much as I did. Knowing how sad his departure  made me feel, I can only imagine how hard it was for those who had experienced his joyful presence for years. [The Rev.] Mary, our program director, did a wonderful job sharing this news and allowing the community to feel sad while she offered ways to help us feel better. Although he may not have left us with an address, Mary suggested creating a card to save until a day when we might find a way to contact him and send it. While the community shared their sadness and anger at being left without notice, many seemed cheered by the idea of creating a card. It was clear how many people were sad, especially because they didn’t get a chance to tell him how much he meant.

After speaking with [The Rev.] Pam about his departure, I came to realize why his absence felt so significant to us. She noted that when he would bring me my coffee, he gave me an opportunity to feel seen. He did this so wonderfully. He knew what everyone liked and paid close attention to us. He made each of us feel appreciated. He made me feel welcomed into the community through this seemingly small act of bringing me a cup of coffee every morning. With a smile he greeted everyone warmly and made sure they got all the food and coffee (or tea) they needed. While many may think that jobs like serving food play a smaller role in this program than, say, the art-making, I think the hurt of his departure shows how essential he was to a joyful and successful day at common art.