Moving to a new place provides so many opportunities to enjoy discoveries. Among them includes discovering things about myself. I’ve rediscovered the joy of reading for fun. I’ve had great recommendations from a FaceBook group, my brother Dennis and my retired librarian friend Deanna. It’s great to share excitement and reflection about books we’ve read together. It might surprise you to learn I’ve never been in a book club. It seems whenever I was invited to join one, timing with being a full-time working mom just didn’t work. So it took me roughly three seconds to say yes when my neighbor and new friend, Nancy, invited me to be a guest at her book club in our neighborhood. I didn’t have time to read the book selected for the April meeting but attended anyway to get a feel for the group.

I’ve talked to enough friends who are in book clubs to learn each has different rules, expectations and ways they organize. Some sound a lot more like a wine club or hen party than an intellectual exchange. No judgement because I enjoy and appreciate lots of different types of organized social interactions. Here’s how My First Book Club works. We meet monthly on the second Tuesday in the afternoon for a couple of hours. We rotate to different homes and the hostess selects the book for us to read. For May, our hostess Vivian (my youngest granddaughter’s name too) chose the book Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have read this book if it weren’t for the book club. I am so glad I did though. There were many deep and thought provoking message, I learned a lot and truly enjoyed this virtual trip to the outback of Australia.

This new experience is definitely rewarding and I learned last week it’s more about the relationships I’m making than about the books. There are 12 of us in the group. I am the youngest, probably by 10 years, or maybe more. There are two salty and sage women who are in their 80s. Members have moved to Santa Fe from all across the country including California and New York. There’s a college professor in the group who is still teaching at the nearby community college and the others are all retired. One is an incredible artist who does basket weaving. One used to own a balloongram/belly dancing business here in Santa Fe. I loved hearing the story about the delivery of the bellygram to Lou Diamond Phillips for his birthday 20+ years ago. There are moms, grandmas, great grandmas, aunts and dog moms. Two are cousins. All have been friends for years and are becoming my new friends.

(These bracelets were gifts from friends while I was going through breast cancer treatment. Wearing them reminds me of the value of both new and old friendships.)

One of the challenges I’ve faced and continue to grapple with in my new home is if I’m doing enough to help others. Community involvement defined me when I lived in Norman. I’ve been struggling with what that could look like here until it came to me during the May meeting. Marcia is the oldest member and during the discussion of one of the main themes in the book, she shared how she is worried she will die alone when her time comes. Like a lot of older people, she experiences loneliness. God revealed to me in that moment how I can make a difference in my own neighborhood by setting up regular coffee and lunch dates with her. Marcia is wise and I know I can learn a great deal from her too about life. We can both thrive in this discovery of a new friendship. My grandson, Arthur, and her great grandson, Luke, are the same age and we’ve already shared photos of them and laughed about how they look like twins.

Unexpected gifts can come to those who are open, not closed. And as my dear friend, Ted Lasso, once said, “be curious, not judgmental.” My new life in Santa Fe has made me more grateful. The beauty of this world was created for our enjoyment. What are you waiting for?

(On Mother’s Day, God gave me the gift of the most perfect rainbow!)