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We were a full house, and I felt so blessed. I felt blessed not only because they are all such loving, caring people but also because they all have seva hearts. They understand the concept of service which means they all know how to pitch in and help and to do it with joy.

By the time we came to our spot under the window, faces were glowing. The room was finally silent. Eyes closed and breathing slowed as I led them, as I had been taught, to look inside for a place of stillness.

To say this place is a melting pot is not only an understatement, it’s a lie. Harlem is the unapologetic deep cauldron of Black culture in America.

“I’ve learned that if I write with my heart, it’s not my concern what the person gets out of it but I just allow them the opportunity to see things differently and let what I write speak for itself.”

Cracker Jacks remind me that food is more than aroma, texture, and taste. It is more than the building blocks of our bodies, essential as all of those things may be. Food is also memories, sometimes strong memories, good or bad.

We are all fallible. We all have the capacity to do great things, monstrous or honorable things... We are all loved, always, and I will do everything in my power to make sure we all know this as I do.

I told the group we are working to build a bridge of understanding between the officers and the incarcerated and be rid of the thought “us vs. them.”

From the outside, it could seem like putting together meals is simply a good deed — an event that good people do with their extra time. But for me, I experience it as an act of self-serving generosity.

I didn’t want to immediately disclose that I do bird calls for fun. To connect myself back into this wheel of life that we call nature.

You are no longer called a troll but a prince of light. You have known sadness, pain and suffering, hate, and destruction. Now you will know the joy of giving yourself to life.

I find it is a cook’s best friend to serve when you have a group of people cooking together. I have seen it transform a group of people who want to help, but are perhaps tired or overwhelmed by a party. It sparks their energy.

My adult sons don’t need me as they once did, and yet the creative energy still seeks for a channel, so I am grateful to our repeat guests, who come back week after week, to help bring the overflow to a healthy balance.