Eating Elephants

I got to eat elephants for dinner tonight. For those of you who may be amazed that I would ever be adventerous enough to eat something exotic like that, I'm not. I went to L'arche tonight for dinner and we had ribs for Annie's birthday. Somehow there was not enough time to make the ribs exactly the way Lisa wanted them to be, so they were a little bit tougher. A lot tougher. It was still good though. Lisa had Jim convinced for a little while for we actually were eating elephant, and then camel, and then zebra. It was pretty good. It reminded me of something that the men in my family are apt to do. I have to admit that for years I would have believed them.

Eating at L'arche, whether it involves elephants or not, involves a lot of laughter. And giggling. And cuddling. And hugs. And unconditional love. It's strange how all these things can come together so easily in one place. And all over eating elephants!

I had to give the date of my last night there tonight. Jim wanted to know if that meant I was leaving for good. It doesn't. I'm going home for the summer and then coming back in September when I return to school. There is no way I would have been able to cling to the small amount of sanity I am left with at the end of second year if I had not had L'arche to go to once a week. And I really doubt that I will be able to cling to any sanity next year if I don't keep coming back. Beyond the nice and pretty reasons that I think I can make a difference by being there, the people there have gotten into my heart. They have gotten into my soul. And there is nothing that will be able to put them out of it.