Dear friends,
My newest granddaughter did the best thing for me last week. But first, a little context: I now have 13 grandchildren, ever since my son, David, and his lovely wife, Callie, added a sibling group of four to their family of five. That means more soccer, football, lacrosse, volleyball games, track meets, judo or wrestling matches, plays, concerts, etc. than I can possibly attend. More fun, too. But there are weeks (every week) when I can’t get to it all. This new 13-year-old granddaughter knows that. But she also wants me to show up when she plays.
So, she took my phone, politely asked for my password, opened my calendar, and made sure every single home game left in her middle-school soccer season was in there. She even showed them to me, so I would recognize them when I plan my week! (Don’t you just love her!?)
Maybe this wouldn’t feel like love to you, but it sure did to me. As the sole container for my life and work these days, letting someone I love and trust tinker with my calendar was a true gift. It helps me do better as a giver of the gift I love: Showing up.
Which brings me to the subject of this email: If you are a show-upper, here is the calendar of our major events at Refuge Coffee in Clarkston this year:
(Calendar) Paste calendar here
Maybe you, like me, are busy (or, as I prefer to say it, limited), maybe you don’t live near Atlanta, or you simply aren’t a show-upper (I see you, and it’s really okay!! The older I get, the less show-uppy I get), but you do care about us, about our mission, and you want to know what’s going on over here. This calendar is for all of you, whether you export any of it to your already-full personal calendar or not.
I used to tell people they did not have to move like Bill and I did when we moved to Clarkston simply to be in proximity to refugees and immigrants. But now I say, if you care about the refugee crisis or about immigrants, you actually do have to move… not necessarily to another zip code, but make some sort of movement that counts, either with your time, your relationships, or your bank account. Otherwise “I care” doesn’t mean much.
I also often say you don’t have to show up to give grace. But I actually believe you do. Maybe you aren’t a crowd person or a party person. So, I think the question to pose yourself is: How do I show up?
We know life is full. And so, we’ve made it easy to show up as YOU, not as someone you think you should be (Bill used to call the pressure to conform bull-shoulding!). There are so many options:
Come drink coffee or tea at one of our shops. Hire us to cater an event. Subscribe to get our coffee beans delivered to your door. Join the Cortado Club. Forward these emails, when they strike a chord, to others. Give a one-time gift to us or to one of the many other organizations that do the work of welcome in our area. Sign up for action alerts, to know about current legislation regarding refugees and other immigration issues and how you can advocate.
Refuge Coffee exists because people like you show up. And, as I say about my newest grandchildren, I just love you!
Showing up with you,
Kitti
