Close Encounters

What constitutes family? You tell me. As far as I can figure, whenever people come into contact with other folks on a common ground, we automatically adopt each other. By common ground I mean when people share DNA, a workplace, neighborhood, hobbies, philosophies, or talents like writing, photography, music ... anything, really.

As in all families, there are easy connections and those that are fraught with challenges. That always happens in families. The bottom note energy in groups sharing common ground over time is a feeling of relatedness that seems (at least to me) to transcend whatever it is we share.

Yesterday a bunch of people came together from a variety of cities to quaff, talk, listen to music, feast, and dance the maypole. It was a fabulous gathering in which we developed, over the afternoon, a lovely connection in spite of the fact that we're all very different from each other. There was great good will among us, and too it was a perfect May afternoon out on the deck, overlooking the green lawn, under the tall trees. On a day like yesterday, it's fairly easy to avoid the possibility of contention.

The maypole ribbons fluttered and danced in the breeze long before we took hold of them, as if to encourage us that the dance of spring is ongoing. All we had to do was grab a ribbon and move. At least that's what I thought the ribbons were saying.

The dance was a bit clumsy at first, as it should be, probably. But we figured out how to weave the pole within two minutes. The rest of the dance was a goofy, gorgeous ballet. There's just no way to dance a maypole without laughing. It's so silly! I love it!! Afterwards we stood back and admired our work. A fully woven maypole is always beautiful.

Honestly we humans are SO adorable. I bow low to my cohorts from yesterday, and salute all the rest of us. BRAVO!! And happy May, ya'll.