Tree of Life is my community. It is filled with my people. Even when I don’t get see all my people all the time, they are still my people.

This weekend is the kickoff for our biggest fundraiser. It brings in thousands of dollars and it takes hundreds of hours to pull it off. We all pull together, doing whatever needs to be done. And we make the toffee. We score and break the candy. We weigh and pack the candy. Then we sell the candy. People we done see often come and help. Some people have been making the candy for 10 or 15 or 20 or even 35 years. Others: this is their first year.

I am always filled with love after making toffee. We talk. We laugh. We argue. We even cry. We have it down to an art. The science of candymaking is such a beautiful art.

this is what community is all about.  I love these faces