House Café

Stories of GatheringTips for GatheringWords for Gathering

Feb 14

Morning Fika

Gathering for Joy and Connection

We all have a desire to be seen, known and loved. The table-your table- can be a place for belonging. By simply setting the table you are inviting others to participate in the human story from before time began.
Daisy Dronen

A simple, delightful, and restful way to gather

I started to notice a trend of people wanting to gather again in homes a few years back. To bring the desired feels and vibes back home but not sacrifice experience or taste. After all our collective experiences of the last few years have pushed us home and we felt like we needed to get out only to find ourselves settling back in to being home but together. When my friend Natalie, sent me this substack post with a text reminding me we needed to start our house cafes, I smiled and knew she was right. What were we waiting for? From this post I love Ryan’s, commitment to gathering. He and his co-host realize its not just about putting on an even but about connecting and enjoying each other’s company.

Christine and I kept hosting the cafes not just because the internet loved them, but because we also loved them. The opportunity to host a dozen of our food friends every month and eat the most incredible, inspiring, amazing food; hang out for hours chatting about our lives;
-Ryan

For me, it is about gathering and sharing with each other and catch up after long periods of not getting together. But as I look at the landscape of our country right now I also see that there is a need for safe spaces to live life well.
Spaces where joy and delight can be a resistance to tyranny and hate. We can be a source of healing to each other with our very presence. We can truly see each other with dignity, awe, care and respect when we spend time together.

Creating Together Heals

At the first House Cafe, where we do a Morning Fika based on the Swedish rhythm of life: to pause and enjoy life together, we also stopped and created these beautiful sheets that could be mailed to stand with refugees in our country who are facing uncertainty with their immigration status.

We are back for our second Morning Fika and on Valentine’s Day! In Spanish this holiday is called “ Dia Del Amor y la Amistad” (day of love and friendship) So, I encourage us to be filled with love and let it pour out of us and lets make new and unexpected friends. This world needs our presence to make it better and more full of wonder.

I hope you enjoy reading through this reflection. Thank you for being here and for making time in your own life to gather with joy.
Gracefully,