Holden's Living Love

I often struggle to explain to others what Holden is or why so many are drawn to it. My words fall short each time I try to explain why we have moved up to the mountains for a year. One of my friends here, Angela, also has a blog and she put such beautiful words to our shared experience. I asked her if I could share part of her posting with you.

Mietzke's Holden Adventure

"This living love is given through delicious meals thoughtfully prepared, through electricity, and fresh water. Through heaters installed and repaired, beautiful programs made and letters of invitation sent out. Love is present in conversations had and ears open to listening. Love is in music sung and played, and in poetry read. It is in candles lighted and vehicles fixed. It lives through people who respond to emergencies, and fire drills. Love has been given to us this year through people who stop what they are doing to hold a baby or play a game with my children. It is shown through the driving of buses and the loading and unloading of vehicles. There are sermons preached and lessons read. There are walls painted and doors hung. There are books shelved and a beautiful store lovingly run. There are people to help me with the computers and printer whenever I have a problem, which is actually quite often. Love is shown when furniture is purchased and quilts are made. It shines when the weekly schedule is printed! It is shown when you stop and give someone a moment of your time. It is shown when the napkins are placed on the tables and when the soap dispensers are filled and most especially shown when toilets are scrubbed and plunged. There are people who care for the gardens, who churn compost and chop wood, who sort garbage, move beds and when people make sure there are rooms cleaned and prepared for guests. Love is in caring for the winter safety board and checking to make sure everyone who went for a hike got back safely. It is programming, facilitating, and planning. Love shows in the ice cream scoopers, and bread makers, dish washers and people who spend all night looking for a leak in our water system. Love is shown through fund raising and staffing decisions made. There are sacristans and book keepers and people who are our advocates both in the village and the outside world. There are walls and stairs built and pipes fixed. There are writers and painters and weavers, and mobile makers. There are crews that spend time clearing trails and people who provide entertainment. There are clean sheets and linens. Love is shown when the mail is sent out and put away in the boxes, and when there are paths stomped through the snow. Love is shown when reservations are made and when boilers are stoked to provide warmth in the winter. Love is shown in the answering of the radios and shoveled snow. When there are roads cleared and instruments played. It is shown by the people who run staff meetings and welcome in new community members. It is present when there are outlets fixed and lights replaced. There is coffee made and open doors inviting people in. There are some who are always willing to give a hug and go out of their way to remember things about me, like my favorite color or what I like best to eat. Love is shown through the teachers that come in many different packages, and there are hands ready to reach out to me when I am in sorrow or pain. Love is given in the sharing of activities and the creation of celebrations and festivity. Love is shown through the joyous laughter of village children, and the mayor's welcome at the bus!If this daily experience is what is meant by Christ lived out in the world, then I have been gifted with Christ, and love has become the fibers that connect us all. Thank you all for being my teachers, for having patience with my short comings, for reaching out to me, for being silly with me and making me laugh. Thank you also for the gift of tears and the safety to express them. This is a beautiful community! You are doing good work in the world! "