the art of gathering

third time's a charm.

the first time someone recommended this book to me, we were in the middle of lockdown.  the "art of gathering" to me at that moment was putting my houseplants in the sink for a good watering.  no, i was too sad to read about something so dear to my heart.

when the book came up a second time i was just finally starting to wrap my time-warped mind around what just happened (which may never fully make sense) and my idea of gathering was to re-establish my own sense of routine, work, and the finding of professional clothing shoved to the back of my closet. 

it came up again with lovely souls--once over ice tea and again (technically this is four times) with a dear friend with whom i put on a very meaningful gathering with in 2018.

and so, i've ordered the book.  as i see it, i have two ways to approach life gowing forward: mindlessly or mindfully.  i can return to being "busy" without knowing why or i can be purposeful, living with intention.  

the same with how and when i gather with others.  sometimes that will be me being invited and other times me doing the inviting.  it starts with a question, "what is the purpose for this gathering?"  what are some of the most meaningful shared times you've had?  what do you think made them so memorable?

also, i'm curious as to the pros and cons of a one-time get together vs. an ongoing (ex: every first thurday of the month) type thing.  what do you think is more likely to be attended these days?  

and finally, i'm rethinking expectations and what makes something "successful".  a meaningful time shared with 3 close friends would be more desirable to my personality, for example, than a chaotic time with 30 people where i didn't really get to connect.