I was unclear before – we do not interact in our community as our actual selves with the exception of an annual retreat when we all come as our truest selves, tell our truest stories, and get to know one another. We find that we are no good at compassion if we don’t have it for one another and having it for one another requires that we know one another.
It may not be among a list of cool camps, but our annual retreat takes place at a small campground in Michigan. We rent three adjacent sites, two nearby cabins, and invite the entire community out from Thursday – Monday.
Cooking, living, and eating communally helps us to reinforce that community takes precedent.