human together

i had every intention of going to the gym when i got home from work this afternoon. but after staying up until midnight last night and going into work at 7:00 this morning it was more appealing for me to come home to our empty community house, grab a handful of pita chips and a mug full of chocolate milk and sit down to blog while our house cat snoozes on the chair across from me and the sunlight filters through the numerous windows. it's not usually quiet in our house. which i like. i love living in community, i love my housemates and i would not give up where i am in life right now for anything (unless, maybe, i was offered a ticket to india...but even that's uncertain because that will happen when God is ready...). but it's been an emotional week, and i haven't really had time to think and sometimes that can add to the exhaustion.

today tamara and i were talking to one of our clients who sells flowers.
"a," i said, "those are really beautiful. i'm going to come back and buy some from you later." "take some" a answered, "i want you to have them."
"but i don't have any money with me right now..."
"i want to give them to you."
so i left him with a bouquet of beautiful flowers in yellows and reds and burgundy--a perfect fall mix for the end of august.

i have probably said it before and i will probably say it again because i think that our common humanity will always and forever be what drives me and compels me consistently to love others. i count myself so, so privileged because day after day i get to sit down and hear the stories and share the humanity with people who many have pushed to the side.

i get to see the smile on a's face as he watches people pick out flowers from his stand. i get to hear the simple reasoning of justice from my developmentally delayed friend r, which reminds me day after day to seek the simple justices and ways of life. it's not really as complicated as i make it. i get to see the tears in g's eyes as he tells me (yet again) of the death of his daughter. i see the excitement when d gets to provide a home for his wife after a long time searching. i get to enter into the delusions of mr. c who has somehow decided to trust me even though he thinks everyone else is out to get him. and i get to laugh with c as he tells me i'm a stalker and accuses me of stealing all the petty cash (i never really know if he's joking...).

i'm so privileged because i get to experience humanity every day with people who are simply human...but told by society that they just aren't worth it.

t and i have two quotes in our office and at the end of every email that we send. her's reads "my humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together" (bishop desmond tutu) and i have found this to be so true. as i realize my clients humanity i realize more and more my own humanity. our weaknesses and strengths. loves and dislikes. we rejoice together and cry together. and through our common humanity we build bonds and help each other grow.