No-one can make you feel special like the Monteverde Friends Meeting.  After 6 long years away, just walking into the beautiful timberframe meeting house elicits joyful smiles and “So glad you’re back!” waves from long-lost Friends. More surprised delight as more people trickle in. The enthusiastic but appropriately-muted murmurs of “Welcome” after we stand up to re-introduce ourselves after meeting. We are special here.

During the hour of silence I swim in sweet memories of our former life here.  In those days, I would have arrived early to set up for teen meeting, unlock doors, help photocopy song sheets, prepare fundraising letters to be signed.  At the rise of meeting I would have made a few announcements about school activities as well as our teen group report, greeted visitors (with the hope of soliciting donations/enrollment/volunteers), probably had a few side conversations about school initiatives, talked to a few of our students and their parents… networked, hobnobbed, done my work as co-director of the school.  I was Involved, Integral, Important, and that meant a lot to me.

This time around, I’m not Important.  I have no keys, no integral role.  I’m involved in the social side of the community more than ever, and only tangentially in a few business-ish meetings to share some historical perspective.  And it turns out that is just fine.  I am just as special, just as valued as a community member as before.  I’m not measured by the number of committee meetings and keys, but by… well, I'm not measured at all.  Just welcomed and cherished for being Me and part of Us.

Every Sunday, new people stand up just like I did to introduce themselves and their connection to Monteverde.  Former student or teacher, friend of someone here, researcher, first-time tourist, did an internship here in 1982… a myriad of paths and connections that each have deep meaning to each person.  And each of these paths and connections and meanings is equally honoured in this circle.  Each person gets the same “Welcome!” murmurs and buzz of excitement.

I hate to admit it, but the petty, insecure part of me wants them to be honoured just a little less than me.  Yes, it’s great that you're visiting your uncle or that you did an exchange program here, but you’re still not quite as “in” as Important Me.  But the humble, all-inclusive love emanating from this meeting is contagious.  Actually, it IS great that you are here, with us, feeling the magic of this place as deeply as I do.  Far from watering down the loving response I received, this equality enrichens it, enrichens me, enrichens the whole community.  This is the living embodiment of the Equality testimony - we all have “the Light” or “that of God” within us, and honouring that which connects all of us is the foundation of community, of humanity.

After a lifetime of trying to be extra-ordinary, striving to live up to the particular skills and opportunities I was born into, the wind and ancient trees and people (some bordering on ancient) whisper that it’s okay to Just Be.  You don’t have to be Extraordinary to be Special.  Everyone is Special.  You are Special precisely because Everyone is Special.

Before moving on to share about Cuba, here's a big final dump of photos of Monteverde.  This first set has some critters and vistas: