The Sayer and the Namer

My Grandparents lived most of their 77 years in a small town in Ohio. They raised their 6 kids there, and my Grandpa was one of the only stone masons in town. Needless to say, they became part of the community. They weren't the richest people in town, and they weren't the most important members of society, but they helped people out. They became involved in people's lives. They loved their neighbors, and they loved each other. They weren't perfect, but their investment into the community didn't go unnoticed. At my Grandpa's viewing, my Dad's high school friends came to pay respects to his dad. All of their neighbors were there. Their church family was there. There were people who worked with my Grandpa 35 years ago that came. For the funeral, not only were all 6 kids and their entire families there, but every ex-husband or wife of the kids and their families came, cousins and 2nd cousins were there for support, the High School Football coach came because he knew how much my Grandpa loved his team, and the list goes on and on. That is community. The people who show up. The people who are there when things are hard. Those who come to respect a life well lived. Those who bake hams and pies when they know that food won't really help, but they do what they can. 

Community is important. It is a two-way street. A life lived in community won't just come to you, you must invest in the community. I am  learning these lessons (perhaps the hard way), and while community life isn't always pretty and easy, it is necessary. I'm so thankful for my Grandparents' community, for their love and support, and for their example of the necessity of being a part of an authentic, albeit imperfect at times, community.