Jay and I spent last weekend visiting our dear friends in Liberty/Kansas City that we lived in community with a few years ago. We celebrate our little community with brunch and saying goodbye to one of the homes where many community happenings took place and hello to a new home where new memories will be made. This caused me to reflect on all of the adventures in community I have had the privilege of experiencing in my 27 years. Spare Key is not the first community Jay and I have enjoyed. After a lot of thought I counted and realized that I have lived with 25 different people at some season in my life. And this number doesn't take into consideration all of the other friends in community I have made.

I have heard many people say that it is a rare thing to find one true friend to go through life with. If that is true, then I am blessed way beyond my share with these 25+ people whom I have communed with. And dwelling with 23 of these people took place within the last 10 years! The even more rare thing is that I have very fond memories of all of these community experiences. There was no roommate disaster or dreaded fall out in any of these situations. What a gift!

Thinking about all of these memories and the ones that are just being added to it every day (like the NERF war that happened last night with Spare Key people and friends from Urban Roots farm) humbles me. How many people just get to share life with amazing people every day? How many neighborhoods have a great house on the corner where we can have a fire pit that draws people in every night? How many people live a block from where much of their food is grown? I can't answer these questions for you, but I am thankful to be counted as one for whom all of these things are true.

As my community circle grows (especially of late, it seems) I look back with awe at the life that I have been given and the many people whom I get to live it with. For all of you whom I have lived with or communed with in some way, thanks. You have made me life so much richer and fuller. I am grateful to get to share a season, part of a season, or every season of my life with you. Community life with you has truly enriched my life and will continue to do so.