The other day, I noticed something lovely—a budding hydrangea bloom in my yard. This is the first plant I’ve ever put in the ground myself, and it made me smile.
On one hand, I totally did that. I ordered the plant online, shoveled a spot for it, and placed it into the earth. I considered the amount of sunlight and felt confident it would receive enough rain. There’s real satisfaction in knowing I played a part in making this happen.
But at the same time, I totally didn’t do that. I didn’t make the bloom appear. The growth and blooming happened on its own, something beyond my actions. I just provided the space.
Community is like this too. We can create the conditions—making space for people to connect, for ideas to grow—but the actual growth happens on its own. The transformations we hope for aren’t something we can force or fully direct. We simply make space, and then something deeper takes place.
— Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 
I’ve occasionally referred to community building as stochastic work. You try some things that succeed some of the time in the hope that eventually one of them does.
Also, my wife and I planted two hydrangeae this spring. They are not thriving, but they’re still alive. There’s hope!
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I love that.
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