I’ve been thinking a lot about friendships recently. I have friends from my childhood, church, college, previous jobs, and of course, my neighborhood. I feel so supported by them, especially during these stressful days of caregiving for my mother with dementia. Hearing my best friend’s voice on the phone while walking my dog, Lucy, each morning always brings a smile to my face and brightens my day. Of course, I’ve also made friends from the Village. These are connections and friendships that I cherish. Many are neighbors that I’d likely never have met if not for the Village. But my life is richer because of them. Each and every person is exciting and I just love it when a member shares a bit of their story with me. The stories paint a fuller picture of the member.
I’ve also seen many friendships develop among members and volunteers. In fact, yesterday I learned that a volunteer who drove two members to an event was meeting up with those same members for an informal social gathering. It all happened organically and without any facilitation by the village staff. It’s that “special sauce” the Village has for many people that enables friendships to form. As I mentioned in previous columns, the new Programs Team is hard at work organizing additional activities and events. If you have a particular interest, send an email and I’ll pass along your suggestion to the Team. They want to create activities where people can gather and do something fun, such as the new games group. This is how those friendships and connections happen. So, please check out our monthly calendar and find at least one activity of interest. I want to meet all of our members and hear even more interesting stories!
--Frank Finamore is the Executive Director of the Cleveland & Woodley Park Village
Look at our events calendar and consider joining as a member or volunteer!
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