I didn’t know where I’d put it: the beautiful sign my friend made for me.

Gather.

One simple word painted on weathered wood.

Six letters, when gathered together, meant so much more than any letter standing alone could communicate.

I thought I might not use it right away. Someday, when this divorce is final and I can begin to rebuild and settle into a new normal, I might find a small house to buy and make into my home, where my friends and family gather to make memories. Perhaps I’d just wait until then.

But when I walked into my temporary home (which has been such a blessing to me and is already sprinkled with wonderful memories) with the sign in my hand, I saw the perfect space on my dining room wall, where my family and friends had already gathered for meals and conversation, where I’d worked on projects with people, where several people sat on the very first night in the house when they move me out from under the roof that had become so unstable to me.

To gather isn’t something we can do alone. I suppose people can gather for some odd reasons, but to me, gathering means doing life with others with humility and authenticity. It’s taking a risk in being vulnerable. It’s thinking of others. It’s a willingness to open yours eyes and heart to working through differences, laughing and crying together, listening and sharing, and growing.

I’m glad I didn’t wait to hang my gather sign. Because no matter what is going on in my life, I never want to put aside gathering with people. They mean to much to me.