My Community

There’s a feeling you have when you’re with people who really “get” you. Maybe you share an interest, maybe you’re passionate about the same subject, maybe you both know a lot of nuances about something nobody else understands or cares about, maybe it’s something hard or boring that brought you down the same path and you’re both going through it. Whatever brings you together, you know when you’re with them that you’ve found your people, your community. You know you can feel safe being yourself because they’re going to be just as much themselves and it’s all okay. Hopefully there’s lots of laughter and listening and empathy and understanding that goes far beyond whatever might’ve brought you together in the first place. And people that stamp your soul like this stay with you, even if you can’t always physically be together. Thank goodness for our communities— in all the interesting and unique forms they take. And especially in times like these, thank you to my communities who have sustained me in ways I could’ve never imagined. ❤️❤️❤️[“My Community” 24x36, available at 15th Street Gallery].