
A guest post by Elisabeth, a friendly face many of you will recognize from your weekly visits to the market. She misses you all a lot, and she has been doing her best to stay connected to the community in a truly unique and inspiring way.
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Last week, as I watched the memorial/vigil for the 22 victims of violence, I felt a familiar yearning for the days where I worked at the market. I miss all of my market people, seeing their friendly faces on a weekly basis.
An antidote to violence is connection. The place where I feel a connection like no other is at the weekly market.
Oddly enough, I know a lot about so many of your lives; yet our only physical point of connection was on Saturdays at the market. Now that market days are on hold for the foreseeable future, I just wanted to take the time to check in to make sure that you’re all doing well.
Since I am the type who prefers in-person connections, I cannot tell you in all the other ways people are connecting these days. I really wanted to take this opportunity to say… I miss you.
I miss hearing stories about your pets, your children, and your grandchildren. I miss seeing the excitement on folks faces after having a brownie sample, or trying our vegan, gluten-free donuts for the first time. I miss giving the kids their stickers. I miss exchanging benign pleasantries, cheeky comment and conversations or even the moments when we shared deep worries or sorrow. Of course, most of all, I miss the hugs.
The market has always been a place of rich connection for me, and for the market team, so I want to thank you all for making it that way.
Something I have been doing, which is so fun and helps us all to stay connected, is ordering brownies every week for friends and front line healthcare workers (nurses, doctors, lab technicians, etc); sending them through the online shop to show that I am thinking of them during these unusual times. They response has been wonderful and they’ve been thrilled to receive their treats.
It is super easy to do – all you need is your friends address and phone number for delivery. Schoolhouse, as a commercial bakery, understands cross-contamination and has strict measures in place to ensure they can offer consistently safe and delicious food choices for people in need.
Something as simple as a brownie can bring us together, even when physical distancing measures are currently keeping us apart.
– Elisabeth