I am thankful for Community

C picked up her first batch of glazed pottery today, and enjoyed some potato leek soup out of her new bowl.  The pottery has a lot of fun little details, like portraits of each of us on our own mugs, including a small one for baby A.

here's me, complete with dreadlocks

After picking up pottery, we went with our Earth scouts group to a senior activity center, as part of working on the Human Rights badge.  Our group talked to the seniors about homeschooling and about Earth scouts, but I think our primary purpose there was to have fun, interact, and engage.  After being there for an hour, C was tired/upset/overwhelmed and had a bit of a melt down.  She was not calming down, so I knew that we needed to leave rather than extend the drama.  I was trying to bundle and gather myself and my three girls, but S was having a great time and the seniors were enjoying her company as well.  They were all playing a game of seated volleyball with an over-sized balloon.  I was feeling unequal to the task of caring for all three children in that situation and one of the other homeschooling mamas stepped in and offered to bring S home at the end.  This simple offer saved my day, and reminded me of how thankful I am for Community.  When I don't have enough hands, enough patience, enough...enough...When I cannot handle things alone, I realize I am not alone, there is a Community...of homeschoolers, a community of friends,...of strangers who share a similar geographic location.  So, thank you, Kim, for stepping in at that moment; thank you, random stranger who smiles at me and offers help when I am flustered trying to juggle children and groceries; and thank you to my friends who have been there when I needed them.  When I am able, I will do my part to help and build community, and when I am not able, I will gratefully receive what help the community offers me.  Thank you.