Longest House Meeting Ever!!!!

I think I've mentioned before that I live in a house with seventeen other people (yes... 18 people altogether). I live in the house owned by the ministry that I work for. I moved in when I interned here and have chosen to stay ever since. I've had the opportunity twice now to move to a smaller (in size and number of people) house on our property, and still have chosen to take the "more traveled" road.

Last night we had our last "house meeting" of the year. Generally our house meetings are no longer than an hour and the one for the end of the year may go an hour and a half, two hours max. Last night however we had one for the history books. When all was said and done, we had a four hour house meeting!! Longest house meeting ever!!!!!

For the last meeting of the year we always take the time to affirm those who are moving out. We will start with a person and every other person in the house gets to say what they want about/to the person moving out (only good affirmations) and then the person moving out gets to say whatever they would like to the housemates. Last night we affirmed nine people who are moving out. That's half of our house!

I was honored to sit in a room for four hours because people had so many amazing things to say about their fellow housemates. I sat in a room where the tears of admiration of others, reflection of the time in the house, sadness to see a housemate go, and tears produced from laughter flowed. There was such love and vulnerability in that room. There was such community and a sense of family that words do not even begin to do it justice.

To the seventeen other residents of the Chi Alpha house, it is a privilege and honor to not just share a house but a home and life with you. I'm a better person for living with everyone of you. I am seriously sad to see the nine of you leave and at the same time incredibly excited to welcome the next generation into the community that we have so invaluably cherished and love.

Until then......