Last week in our community, our 501.c.3 offered “Making Safe Happen“, a playful approach to personal defense, 2+ hours, designed for a wide swath of learners. In classic analog Game-Based Learning, building muscle memory when anxiety isn’t near, when it all feels safe enough. Hotdogs and s’mores were on the picnic table, bringing us back to the food of community inclusion. Funny, I hadn’t noticed in The Golden Girls that there was always one spot left open at the table. It’s a beautiful metaphor of acceptance and invitation, and a beautiful article at that link above. How had I missed “my seat” in all those reruns? The author (Nguyen, 2025) of the TIME article (page 24) says that spot is for each of us, as we are audience to each other.

The Bruce article, page 32, same issue, “when he was battling his first bout of serious depression, compulsively driving past his childhood home and eventually seeking therapy”, speaks of his personal intervention, his gut insight to his own healing, “I still drive by that house” (his seeking inclusion of old memories into how he might “make it right again now”.)

I hope you can read both stories, and draw your own conclusions, your hungry heart toward friendship and acceptance. I did myself, to verklempt.

Both stories seek peace of mind for you, for me. So, may I please have a spot at your table? I promise you vice versa, for I am lonely. Open napkins, open hearts, please. May not be easy, but let’s really try.

Peace for us all, Gayle