Show Up

I’ve decided, for this season of life, that I will set aside Tuesdays to help out at tutoring. I realized today that I have many things to do and if no one shows up, I feel like it’s a waste of time: I have food I need to shop for, clothes to wash, emails to write, and maybe i could just go for a walk and enjoy the warm summer air. All good an important things that need to get done at some point.

But maybe it’s more about showing up, committing to be there, and in being there, something good may happen. Some days, there’s not much there, and people come or don’t come and it challenges the values I put on time.

Angelo(,michael) showed up at the end of the time, and his sincereness and kindness really jolted me back into my place. I was touched by his kindness and for his acknowledgement of me and Jared, two chinese dudes, just kind of waiting to be helpful. He was kind, hopeful and honest. What a gift.

Jared too switched into tutoring Chinese and was just on fire: so eager and caring in sharing the gift of his knowledge of the Chinese language. And this doing so with a young hispanic teen, eager to learn the various tones of “Me”, “You”, “Them”. In some ways I think Angelo and Jared expressed who they were fully. Angelo’s kindness and honesty. Jared’s deep love for China and Chinese (himself). What a gift.

And I received the gift of community. I was able to see Holly, who told me the story of how she saw me earlier biking ( and that my floss dropped out of my bag and a car ran over it), connect with Jared about China and the 789 Art District, talk to Alex about life (and receive free food from her and her house), listen to Jared’s joyful tutoring, meet Angelo, and earlier to talk to Sarady on the phone.

I’m glad I stayed for the gifts to show up.