“No Way!”

I stepped out of the car after about an hour of driving. I had parallel parked, and not particularly well, I might add. But it was good enough. I had made it to my destination.

I opened the door of a place that serves as both a coffee shop and a wine bar. Both of those are lovely, of course, but that’s not why I was there.

I walked across the wooden floor and made my way toward a room that had been reserved for about forty people. It was a storytelling event called Passages. I had only been there once before, just a month earlier, when I came with a close friend. His Dad hosts the event, and he and I have followed each other on social media for years. But we’re only just beginning to know each other in person.

As I reached the second door and was about to step into the reserved room, he was coming out at the same time. We nearly crossed paths mid-threshold. He looked up, saw me, and his face lit up.

“No way!” he said, pulling me into a bear hug.

He was genuinely delighted to see me again. And that felt wonderful, because I have long admired him.

Throughout the night, we heard stories that were heartfelt and hilarious. All of them true. There is a kind of energy in that space, a real sense of connection. People listen closely. They laugh together. They recognize something of themselves in one another. There are breaks built into the evening, moments to pause, talk with the people around you, meet someone new, and continue the conversation

I told a story that night, too — one of my funniest ones — and it seemed to land. But more than anything, I found myself thinking about how welcomed I felt.

“No way!”

I spend a lot of my time curating spaces for others. And I receive from people in that role all the time. But it’s a different kind of experience. There is something uniquely meaningful about stepping into a space like this and simply being welcomed, fully and freely among others who are also deeply welcomed and wanted.

There is a rhythm of giving and receiving in a space like that. There are many chances to welcome and to be welcomed. And I was reminded how important that is. It felt good to receive from this community, and then to add myself to it.

I’m thinking that we could all do this more often.

—Renee Roederer