By Samantha Rhodus

My favorite night with my community this past month would have to be the night when we sat on the kitchen floor instead of at the table.

One of my housemates made a pan of brownies because the day had been stressful and also who doesn’t love brownies? We were talking in the kitchen waiting for them to cool off and we sat down while chatting about anything and everything. We pulled the brownie tray down to us, and when another housemate came in and sat down, and we said, “Grab a fork!” Soon after the other two walked in to get a piece of brownie before we devoured it. Naturally we told them, “You can only have this brownie if you sit on the floor with us.” Ready for them to laugh and say no I was shocked that they actually sat down! Circled around a brownie pan on the kitchen floor my heart was so full that we were all together in such a simple way.

Community isn’t always going out to an event and spending a bunch of money; in fact, it’s rarely that. Community is often about the simple moments we get to share, the casual conversations that show you care about each other. It’s about sharing a brownie on the kitchen floor and no one caring about the last time it was mopped because the laughter is louder than the worry. Community can at times be frustrating but it is always rewarding.

Samantha is serving as an AmeriCorps Elderly Services Caseworker and living in the McCreary Volunteer Community. She has previously been involved with service in New Orleans before returning to her hometown of Lexington, KY and committing to a year of service with CAP. Opinions expressed in volunteer blogs are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CAP or the Volunteer Program.