Noticing That Which Weaves Us Together

Noticing That Which Weaves Us Together

“There are moments when the heart is generous, and then it knows that for better or worse our lives are woven together here, one with one another and with the place and all the living things.”
― Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow

I have this quote written up in chalk paint on an old window in front of my house right now. The other day a gentleman I’ve never met knocked on my front door and asked if I would be so kind as to lend him a pen and paper so he could write that quote down. He was struck by the beauty of the words, he said. I got pen and paper, and we spent some time talking together out front with this Wendell Berry quote and he shared why he was so stuck by it, and a bit about his life. I thanked him for taking notice of my offering to the neighbourhood.

Later that week at work we offered up a series of conversations and events celebrating the power of neighbourhoods for those who were interested. I was struck throughout the week in interacting with folks joining in, how connected we are by new ideas. I loved watching intent faces light up as speakers inspired us with what is possible when we are connected in community. I noticed smiles with each new idea, and the places those ideas might take us together.

At the end of the week, I was driving home from work and there was a vibrant rainbow. You could sense that as we all drove our cars east bound on the 403, that each of us were all taking in the beauty of the rainbow. The pace to get home seemed less frantic, each of us following it on our way home; together, wondering where the rainbow started and ended.

I’ve been noticing the things that connect us or weave us together. Simple bits of beauty. Words, ideas, and the elusive places we are all moving towards.

This week’s noticings brought to you by Rishia Burke.

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