Rooted in Commuity
On Wednesday morning, 10-year-old Ashley shuffles into the Quaker meeting house for 45 minutes of silent worship. She pauses at the entrance, scans the room for friendly faces, then hesitantly walks up to an already crowded bench. The children squeeze even tighter together, shuffling bums over to make space for another friend.
Monteverde is that collective bum shuffle. It’s the beaming grandmother who can always add another plate at the dinner table. It’s Aunty Ant squeaking, “There’s always room for one more” as she packs another Richard Scarry animal into the plane for Carnival.
There’s a difference between a Homecoming and Coming Home
Our visit to Monteverde in 2024 - my first since we’d moved away 8 years earlier - was a glorious Homecoming. A chance to relive some memories and recover from some hurts; to rekindle friendships and reconnect; and to reinvent my place in the community without the role of school co-director. I re-walked favourite paths, set up dinner dates with as many old friends as possible, and Joyfully discovered that Retired Rick could thrive here in a rich and different way.
This time, we are simply Coming Home. It feels more regular and comfortable. The excited “Wow, they're back!” buzz in the 2024 Quaker meetinghouse is replaced by a more gentle communal smile saying, “Yay, this is the time of year that Rick and Sarah are around.” We don’t feel pressed to have a special date with every special person - we can connect on the paths, at the grocery, during potluck. And those conversations are a more rhythmic catching-up after a good vacation, not a comprehensive “Who Are You Now?” after a decade of growth and change.
Oh ya, Life Goes On
Not everything is the same, of course. A few more people have moved on or moved in, hooked up or broken up, changed roles. Curi Cancha had the nerve to close one of my favourite paths. We enter a fabulous new community by attending daily workout sessions as Rio Chante. I’m invited back into a men’s circle by the sole remaining member from our original circle ten years ago.
These are the natural and necessary undulations and evolutions of a community that cherishes tradition. We blend back into the kaleidoscope of scrabble, Coffee Klatch, yoga, Quaker meeting, Sunday afternoon Christmas carol singing, coffee house talent show. Attend music concerts organized by the timeless Hugh, and film presentations at the Monteverde Institute. Enjoy fundraisers for the Community Fund, for the Far Corners Community Musical Society our boys used to perform in, and for a tree-climbing company started by 3 of our graduates. I make a rare nighttime run to Santa Elena for the Christmas light-up parade, and lament that we can’t stay a few days longer to partake in the many quirky Christmas events.
Blessings on the Roots
While I enjoy monkeying around in the mighty branches for a few months, I appreciate the people who have built and tended the deep community roots for the past 75 years. These noble Peace farmers do the hard work of mending conflicts, carrying out vision, planning and running and cleaning up after the dance while I just waltz in and out.
In two months we do what we can - bring a meal to a sick Friend, attend business meeting and community circles of concern, support fundraisers. We share our fundraising and website development skills with the school, Monteverde Institute, and Curi Cancha reserve. But we try to be careful not to be yet another one of those visitors who brings in great ideas that would just add to the workload of the same small core people who always carry the full load.
When we lived here I was one of them. Joining committees, leading initiatives, reporting at business meetings, organizing events. I like to think that I built up a bit of karma I now cash in on. That it is okay to call Monteverde one of my heart homes. When people ask where we live or where we will eventually settle, I feel we already have started. Our intention is to be in Monteverde often enough (2-3 months per year?) that we continue to fold seamlessly into this blessed community, giving what we can and reaping what is always so generously and lovingly offered.
It just occurred to me - if those permanent community members are the powerful, longlasting roots, maybe I used to be a branch, extending the community out in new directions to gather in resources and energy. And these days maybe I’m a leaf, spreading out to the sun and sending photosynthesized energy back into the system before launching back into the air. Or a bright flower luring in the birds and butterflies to sustain the life cycle for one more glorious season.
I feel so grateful to the Guindons and Rockwells and Smiths and Newswangers and all the dug-in pioneers who sustain the community while welcoming so many more of us temporal leaves and flowers to be contributing members of the ecosystem. I can hear 4-year-old Anoush singing their family’s meal blessing song (and, I suspect, still on her mom’s answering machine message 15 years later):
Blessings on the blossoms, blessings on the fruit
Blessings on the leaves and stem, blessings on the roots
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Currently in...
Pittsburgh - a housesit as an excuse to spend one more week with Zekiah
Heading to...
Thailand (Chiang Mai), Vietnam (Hoi Ann, Feb-Mar), Cambodia (Siem Reap, Apr). Please share any sites, people or ideas by email.
Love it, this sounds like such a beautiful and peaceful place, except for the spiders and snakes. Love to you both. 🙂
What a beautiful place for the Advent- and Christmas time!
We wish you a wonderful Christmas and
Health, adventure and happiness for the coming year.
Always enjoy your posts and the gorgeous photos.
Hugs to you both,
Harald and Heidi
Thank you for this lovely post. Love to you both and love to all the dear folk back home in Monreverde!