Ruby

Ruby was country ham and warm biscuits. She was fresh cut flowers and sweet corn. She was thick tomato sandwiches that you had to eat over the sink. She was crowded and loud kitchens that were filled with smiles and laughter. She was family, she was friends and she was faith.

I think that is the culture of the YMCA Branch named in her honor. A branch where everyone is welcome and everyone is treated like family. We celebrate the simple things in life which bring us so much joy. The Ruby, as we affectionately call the branch, has no hallways or walls. The open floor plan creates a constant hum of talking, balls bouncing, and treadmills running.

Kind of like her kitchen. All of this energy and activity grounded on a commitment to our faith and the charge to “Love Our Neighbors As Ourselves.”

Yesterday as I watched her wonderful family and how proud they are and how strong they are all trying to be, I thought about how the best gift that we can give to Ruby is to acknowledge that our hearts are breaking and to lean on each other and let our hearts break together. 

Then we need to get back into that kitchen and out in that garden and spend the rest of our lives sharing the peace, the love and the joy that she shared daily.