"Our lives make a difference in what the world becomes. We either help build this world up in Love or tear it apart. Either way, we bear responsibility for the world's future." - Ilia Delio
As the sunshine and warmth of spring pervades the parking lot, I walk down the hallway wondering how (and when!) we will be able to fix the pool, cover all the shifts that need covering, rewax the floors, and stop the leak in the men’s bathroom. And in the next moment, I turn into the Community Room and am greeted by a radiant Hayden, who hangs on me and asks, “Will you bring in the speaker so that we can dance?”
The juxtaposition of the ordinary, practical, often difficult thorns of surviving with the vibrant, hopeful, and uplifting energy of being alive has always astonished me. How could such joy and optimism exist alongside such labor and toil?
In such moments, I appreciate seeing quotes like the one above. My life makes a difference. All our lives make a difference. Our little Waldo County Y makes a difference. How I relate to the pool maintenance person, how we reach out to potential new employees… how I simply walk down the hall … how we do everything(!) either builds this world up or tears it apart.
I know that’s not a rousing call for you to exercise or donate to the WCY or come in to have coffee! But it is a reminder to me (and I hope to you) of why I am here, why I appreciate the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” (like a 15-year-old pool that needs constant maintenance!), and why it feels so good to walk down the hallway of the Waldo County Y: because the WCY builds up this world in Love. It’s why I took this job to begin with. It’s why I love the people I work with. It’s why I love everyone I meet here. We all are building this world up. This is a special place and I am grateful.
Thank you for being part of the WCY.