Sowing Community

Gabby and Katrina show off their flowers.

There’s something unique about the place with an unspoken trust and rule to take care of one another. It’s a place where even the new faces are instantly welcomed and brought into the camaraderie. A place where people of all different backgrounds, ages, and capabilities meet at a mutual understanding of respect. This place is Center Pointe, the place where Gabby and I were lucky enough to complete our shared art project. Armed with a mix of markers, crayons, paper, plates, and foam we arrived early morning on November 13^th ready to create a garden.

Cowboy Gardener

    Our plan was to have each of the participants design their own unique flower with whatever materials they wished and then ‘plant’ the flowers together into one Friendship Garden. With excited expectations from the previous visit, we were stoked to be there once again surrounded by some familiar, but mostly new faces. After making some new acquaintances and sharing stories of Thanksgiving plans our project began.

    With quite a good deal of participants and just the two of us, it was a busy hour moving from table to table to instruct, help, and of course swap some great jokes and stories. Luckily some of the Center Pointe volunteers helped along with us. Producing an overwhelming amount of original and beautiful flowers, the participants seemed to be having as much fun as we were. Ranging from skillfully glued tissue paper designs and traditional colored petals to flowers sporting sailboats and kitten faces, the array of flowers mirrored the diversity of their creators.  Some worked with a concentrated focus impenetrable by our passing comments while others gleefully chatted in creation. One very enthusiastic participant even fist pumped after each one of her flowers was completed.

As time wrapped up we planted the flowers into their places. The result formed a beautiful, unified garden just as distinct as its makers.  With one last group photo, the participants dispersed to join their classes. However before leaving, a great deal of them made a point to give us hugs and thank you’s, embodying the very welcoming spirit of the Center; such a spirit that makes us want to come again.