While working as a baker a few years ago, I was witness to the sunrise six days a week.
Time seemed a bit different then—there was an urgency to the prep, glazing and wrapping of dozens of scones. The clock was my competitor—rushing me out the door for deliveries by 7:30am. Sitting behind the wheel I could finally breathe—and look around. Driving down the parkway along the bay, the sun was forever at varying heights along the horizon.
The sunrise today seems so much different. It’s another place to be certain, and I’m a different person. Time as a baker was a two-year bridge from then to now; from a city-dwelling office manager to a rural farm employee. I’ve found that the risk of change accompanied by faith encourages personal growth. With “growth” as one of our core values, we encourage this in people as well as vegetables at Peacehaven.
Looking from the porch at Susan’s View across the raised beds towards NC 61, the yellow-orange hue hits just above the trees on the neighboring farm a few miles east. The still quiet of the air is broken by a bark from inside. Maverick has noticed my presence. Taking a deep breath and grabbing my 9x12 pyrex pan, I make way toward the house. Thankfully, the door is opened by a groggy friend who greets me by asking for a hug.
“Breakfast with Becky” has, quite selfishly, become one of my favorite entries on the house schedule. What began as an opportunity to allow the assistants a Friday morning sleep-in once a month has become my time alone with friends Jeff, Jake, Anne and Molly. Equally exciting today is the knowledge that they’re waking up after a day trip to the mountains. My friends start shuffling into the kitchen as I’m spooning coffee into the pot. Bleary morning hugs are shared; one warm group embrace helps us all shake off the chilliness of the room.
As the coffee perks, the stories begin—The Mystery Room, a picnic lunch, ice cream. . . but Molly had forgotten her purse, so Abigail paid. The pictures they painted were vivid. My heart sank a bit as I realized that I had missed a special opportunity by not jumping in the van, so I told them so. “Aww sweetie,” comforted Anne. “Next time.”
Indeed.
The breakfast I had prepared was a simple casserole of eggs, sausage and spinach served along with yogurt and fruit. We’re all working on portion control, so a measuring cup was produced. The conversation flowed. We knocked on Jake’s door a third time. And I smiled feeling at home in this place with these people.
While simple, I’ve found here in Susan’s View at Peacehaven many of Maslow’s basics—a sense of belonging, of purpose, of meaningful work and relationships. Peacehaven Year Two is beginning to show up as a time of digging more deeply into relationship with others. And that means making space and time for lots of conversations. And sometimes that means showing up with breakfast.
– Becky Cain, Director of Community Life