If you build it….

This past week, the doors of The Swell Center officially opened. And I spent the first week sprinting from the role of instructor to executive assistant to janitor to graphic designer to accountant.

There has been teaching.

And cleaning.

And scheduling.

And troubleshooting.

And hiring.

And marketing.

And answering emails.

And ordering supplies.

And figuring-it-out-as-we-go-ing.

Beneath all of those “ings,” there has been something else: building.

Building a place where people can walk in carrying stress, grief, loneliness, fatigue, or simply the desire to move their bodies, and leave feeling just a little more connected to themselves.

What makes all of the “do-ing” worth it are moments like Sunday— when a new friend walks in the door at our very first Meditation class and tells me how much she needs a place like The Swell Center. It’s not just the sentiment itself, it was the way she said it with her eyes and the way she was able to, if just for a little while, set aside her responsibilities to her family and focus on herself. Her words, not mine. It is in these moments of connection that make all the other -ings worth it. And today, she came back to try a yoga class. And we laughed and worked through some gentle movement together.   

It’s building. One connection at a time. The quote that resonates the most with me right now is from the esteemed author, Maya Angelou. She states, “As you grow older, you will discover that we have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” And if one-by-one we can reach out and offer something that the community needs, then we are building something special. I’m here for it. And you.