My First Community: The Original Five.

It wasn’t until adulthood when I realized The Original Five were the first to teach me about community. The Original Five being my parents, my older sister, and my older brother. Some days were hard to recognize this group as community, as there were many days my siblings weren’t really interested in me due to an age difference. Or the fact that my parents created all these horrible rules around a clean room, dinner table etiquette, curfew, etc. As a young person, you do not realize what all you are actually #gaining from this core group of people. Fortunately, I was truly blessed with what I identify as my first and everlasting community. Some of what we did together didn’t seem to be significant as a child, but now with more adult insight, I recognize the significant, positive impacts The Original Five had on me. Although we disagreed, annoyed each other, yelled, and cried, we also:

· Sat at the dinner table every night, together

· Cleaned up the kitchen after dinner, together

· Gathered around fires on crisp fall nights, together

· Skipped home cooked meals for banana splits, together

· Drove to our grandparents house, almost every Sunday, together

· Laughed over each other’s comedic behavior, together

· Cried over matters of the heart, together

· Eaten many pasta dinners, together

· Gather EVERY Christmas, together

· Shared funerals, together

· Sang Happy Birthday….”and many more”….together

· Vacationed at beaches, together

· Played wiffle ball games well into adulthood, together

· Had backyard parties, together

· Make fun of each other, together

· Picked up chocolate Easter eggs, together

· Hid so Santa could arrive, together

· Completed chores on weekend mornings, together

· Celebrated each other’s successes, together

· Honored each other, together

· Drove in the station wagon, together

· Hosted picnics in the park, together

· Attend family reunions, together

This is a short list in comparison to all of what we have done #together, but one that depicts where my foundations of community began. I’m lucky to have The Original Five to have taught me so much about community. I am thankful to have had all my experiences, the good, the bad, and the ugly. As all these experiences are what makes our bond so strong. Knowing, no matter what happens, I always have The Original Five #Community.