A Wandering Guest

I just signed in to write about hospitality and before I could start typing I was greeted by name just now in the way that a dear friend who stumbles upon you on the sidewalk might smile and say "Emily!" Except I just met this woman for the first time last week at Communion. She seemed so genuinely excited to see me and gave me a hug. Told me they missed me this week. In that no-guilt kind of way that makes me think she actually meant it. I got to hear about her day and her sons and her upcoming travels. Love these moments on the hill. A stranger even stopped to talk to me this afternoon about this amazing sunshine while I was sitting here and a market employee recognized me and smiled. Evidently, it's not over yet, because I just got to hold a new baby's hand for a few minutes. A friend of a friend came by with her baby "Emily!" Are you puking yet? I'm blissing out. Grateful. Have I said that enough yet? Nah, I don't think it's possible. I'm so thankful, I'm so grateful for this time, this neighborhood, the people I know and I'm getting to know, the people I haven't met yet.

These days could be lonely for an extrovert, but for the most part they really haven't been. I'm so thankful that I've been in the neighborhood for over 10 years and so many people at the yoga studio alone know my name. I've been there 15 of the 30 days this month. I love walking in after spending time alone and seeing familiar face(s), hearing my name, getting a hug, being their guest and hosting myself on the mat, singing along.

Often these days I felt like a wandering honored guest. Yesterday, especially, I was treated so kindly everywhere I went.

R. came over for breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and told me that the truck was parked close by and gassed up. We had a sweet 1 1/2 hours together before he walked me to the truck and sent me off to my appt so I wouldn't have to pay for a zipcar.

When I arrived at K's office she asked me if I was cold and offered a throw. She pulled a warm, soft blanket out of the corner, opened it and spread it out over my lap. Such a simple thing that made me feel so noticed and cared for.

Marpac, the contractors I worked with on Senior City while I was at EW, suggested and arranged for a team lunch to gather and say goodbye to me. So we met yesterday at Boom Noodle. Three folks from Marpac, my now former boss, Roger and a couple of people from the development consultants office, Common Ground. All around a nice big table eating off of each other's plates and sharing appetizers. We spent quite a bit of time together the past few years. Marpac is amazingly hospitable. I can't think of a meeting where there wasn't food. And this team I'm proud and happy to say was amazingly collaborative, mindful of each other and each other's role on the project. And the process was not without bumps in the road! Matthew, the construction eyes for Common Ground, gave me an unexpected gift - a beautiful, lined journal with a cross and icons on the front. I work with a lot of men who have daughters about my age or younger and I'm always pleasantly surprised by their tenderness and thoughtfulness, their listening skills, the conversations we have. It's such a gift to be seen and to have my efforts as an architect and project manager with the team honored and my dreams for the future acknowledged and encouraged. I raised my glass to toast the team saying it had been my sincere pleasure to work with all of them and they said "Emily, you're the bomb. No wait, Emily, you're the boom!" We all laughed and clinked glasses and I accepted it and soaked it in, tucking it away for a time in the future when I'm trying out new things, knowing intimately how every person at that table was essential to the work getting done well. Also, the project continues to wrap up behind the scenes and I'm not there. Everything is going fine without me as well.

I walked to the dentist where I sat in the chair for another 2 1/2 hours of drilling and filling and permanent crowning. My jaw has been less than happy with me the past week. I can't open my mouth wide enough to get a fork with too much food on it in there. I can chew without pain PTL. This happened once before in high school so I trust it will get better with time. I talked to the dentist and her assistant about it and they were so gentle and mindful with me during my time there yesterday asking me multiple times if I was ok, patting my shoulder, you poor girl, [pat, pat, pat]. At one point I had to go to the bathroom really bad and had quite the contraption holding my mouth open and a rubber dam covering it except for the teeth they were working on. The assistant said I don't want you to look in the mirror and scare yourself (smile). I indeed resembled two-faced Harvey from Dark Knight. I was so relieved to relieve myself that I didn't care. Just took a closer look and marveled at it all. All the pieces and the process.

Today I am the guest of the sun, moving my chair around outside the cafe to keep sitting in it's glory.

Time to wrap it up here and get back to retreat preparation. I am honored to be one of four people hosting 10 others on Whidbey Island this weekend for a Seeking and Listening Retreat. May I offer them as much spaciousness and kindness and encouragement as I've received this week.

Love to you all.

Em