Building Community in a Walk Around Town

Jun 1

For the first 16 years of my adult married life, we lived in a suburban neighborhood with a yard and a community of sidewalks. Living in a new development meant our yards were mostly filled with box woods and thin young trees, our landscaping builder’s grade and for the most part… drab. We planted our gardens, filling our backyard with beauty which meant we rarely had to leave home to appreciate nature (even though you know we did!). But, our beauty was mostly hidden behind our home, rarely shared with those outside of our immediate circle.

Fast forward to apartment living in the small downtown of Kirkland, WA. While beauty might not be just a step off our porch, it’s still close at hand. Our community takes great pride in their landscapes, their front yards filled with magnificent gardens that seem to be professionally maintained. Each day on my walk through town, I stop and take photographs in someone’s front yard. Most days, the yards are empty, but sometimes I feel caught in the act as the homeowner peers out from around a bend. I wave and comment on the beauty of their yard and they beam with pride of ownership, seemingly appearing like I have just given them a first prize ribbon.

In a time where we are feeling nothing but socially distant, this small act of intimacy feels like the delicate thread of a spider’s web, a lifeline connecting us as we return to our safe place indoors.