I cannot believe that it has been more than a year since I came back to PA. :( I miss L'Arche at pretty ridiculous levels, even though I am pretty content with my life here. I mean more than content, but OMIGOSH, do I miss the absolute LOVE I received there, and also the love I FELT there. Loving others is called Agape love, I think, so I guess you could call L'Arche agape love. See, the folks at L'arche are people with developmental disabilities, so I guess you could maybe say they were what Jesus called, "the least", not because HE thought they were, but because that is what the world thinks. I mean, they can't do everything everyone else can, they probably won't invent the next Apple product, some government officials don't think that people with DD deserve funding for work and life. EVEN though, holy crap I'm about to rant a bit, most of them CAN work. And do pretty well at it, if I might add. Anyway, what I am saying is as I am far away from them, I don't even think about their disabilities. Alls I remember is how they made me feel, how I felt when I was with them. Sure we had issues (WHERE ARE YOUR SOCKS!!!!!), but man, how can you NOT feel special when you get home and get major hugs. Or you walk downstairs in your pajamas and someone tells you that you look beautiful today. Or you are just helping someone with an intimate task and you just wonder, HOW CAN THEY TRUST ME THIS MUCH??
So here is a list of things I LOVE about L'Arche:
- All the moments that made me nearly pee myself with laughter.
- Lingering over coffee, the newspaper and laughs pretty much every morning.
- Being able to spend a LOT of time trying new things in the kitchen, and having people tell you they loved it or hated it, and you KNEW they were honest.
- Watching Little House on the Prairie every night.
- People telling you were beautiful
- Having about 6 nicknames.
- Meeting all kinds of amazing wonderful amazing wonderful perfect lovely people.
- being honored with taking care of people's needs, and having them return the favor.
- feeling truly loved.
