March Connect, Create Collaborate

Choosing low-lift, high reward ways to build community 💗

Hello.

One of the favorite parts of my week happens on Thursday afternoons, at the small neighborhood playground a few blocks from our house. Every other week, a group of us meet here with our kiddos with a few snacks and toys to share.

Our old neighborhood playground in Kansas City, also just a block or two from our house.

There’s nothing special about this playground–it has one picnic table, modest equipment, and a baseball field that’s perpetually swampy, yet it’s become a cherished “third space” for many of us. A casual, low key way to build relationships and get to know our neighbors.

A sigh of relief and small glimpse of what “village parenting” could look like.

When I first came up with the idea for a “standing” playdate, I thought of hosting it at our house, one of the only spots with a flat, fenced in yard. My husband quickly talked me out of that idea, suggesting it would be too much to take on consistently (he was right). Choosing not to host it at our house not only saved me from potential burn-out, it shifted the organizational structure away from a top-down hierarchy to a de-centralized one.

Anyone can come. If I can’t make it one week, the group can still meet without me.

Most importantly, it’s a low lift for everyone. A simple, consistent way to show up, let our kiddos run wild for a few hours, and connect.

That’s what I hope our monthly free resource exchange can do, too. A simple way for us to reach out, connect, create, and collaborate in whatever capacity we have, today. A gentle reminder that we’re not doing this alone, and that sometimes our greatest resources are our relationships.

I hope this inspires you to create your own version of this where you live!

Heartbeats Resource Exchange 💞

If this is your first time participating in our resource exchange, here are all the details you’ll need. Feel free to share this with your friends, pass it on, and watch it grow. The more we do together, the more we can do.

How It Works:

1. In the comments on THIS POST

   • Share your city in ALL CAPS

   • Under “RESOURCES OFFERED” list up to 3 free resources you’d like to share (examples: tarot reading, editing services, homemade meal, etc.)

   • Under “RESOURCES NEEDED” list 1-3 items you’d like to receive from the community (examples: a writing critique partner, 2 hours of childcare per month, an old typewriter, painting lessons, etc.).

2. Connect with others by responding directly to offers/requests that interest you

3. If you can’t directly respond to a request, but know someone who can, invite them to participate!

4. Check back periodically for new connections

5. This thread will remain active through March 31st, with a new thread starting in early April.

Thank you for showing up with courage, hope, and the belief that we can create pockets of resilience and goodness, right where we are.

All my love,
Mariah

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Behind the scenes 🦋

I wrote The Pattern Shop after backpacking around the world in my mid-twenties, looking for community and belonging. The kindness and hospitality I encountered on that trip continues to inspire me to believe in the best of people. The Pattern Shop is a story about what connects and separates us from each other, and how we might begin to find our way home.