Last week, our HYD team (14 of our 15 amazing women) gathered around the table to enjoy a potluck feast. To be honest, not a ton of planning went into this evening. We had a few hopes for the night: we would each bring something to contribute to the meal, and we would each show up with our own story. It was a really simple & at the same time, meaningful evening together.

“They broke bread in their homes & ate together with glad and sincere hearts.”

Home made cooking & enticing smells made their way through the door while we poured wine into glasses, as everyone showed up one by one. The dishes were varied and unique, like the gals that brought them. When everyone is responsible for bringing “something” - it takes the burden off of the host to provide everything. This was also a fun way to get to enjoy a variety of foods without too much work for anyone. It was like the “Greatest Hits of Thanksgiving” from 15 different family traditions.

When the meal began, we started sharing conversation around our experiences as organizers. It wasn’t a forced discussion about “work”, rather, it was one of the rare instances where we are all gathered together in the same room to share stories. Our team is made up of some women who have been organizing for Help You Dwell for over 4 years and others that have only been with us a month or so. We heard stories about surprising connections with clients, vulnerable moments, and light hearted, funny encounters. While HYD is a team, we often function individually as we work with clients to help them pack for a move, get organized, or settle in after a transition. It was so rich to share stories & what we’ve learned about ourselves in the field. We also each bring our own “flavor” of personality to the table, which adds a fun social dynamic as we connected and laughed and listened.

Our desire in sharing about our evening with you is to encourage you to gather. A shared meal doesn’t need to be fancy or stressful. Don’t put all of the pressure on yourself, but invite your guests to participate and spread out the responsibility. Use what you have & get creative. Whether it’s with family members, neighbors, friends or strangers, we are so much better together than we are on our own. If we don’t make time to connect and listen to those around us, we limit ourselves from the beauty, story and depth that others have to share.