Building Party

Several times a year, my building has a party. It's a time to see people whose paths haven't crossed mine in a while, to see how tall people's kids have gotten, and to eat dinner without cooking or ordering in. I consider it a win-win.
 
There were many years when I missed these parties. They are, of course, geared toward people who are either home or working normal hours. Thus, many years, I would come home from a long production day to the sight of caterers carrying away the supplies, the dinner and the hundreds of guests long gone. And then there were a few years when the party was the highlight of a day when I'd spent hours alone, sending resumes and waiting for emails.
 
Tonight, I was grateful to be home early enough to partake in dinner and some reconnecting, but not so "home" that I headed down to the party early, just to have something to do after a day alone. I was grateful for the no-fuss family dinner, and for the fact that my kids, like so many of the others I've watched grow up in my building, are doing fine. And I was grateful to be part of a community that goes on, even as my life has shifted over the years.
 
The building party is over for another six months--I'll be back to making dinner tomorrow. But it was nice, even for a short time, to be reminded that neighbors do matter, even if you see some of them just a few times a year.