those who sustain

Last Sunday, I grabbed my cleats and drove to a saved location in Google Maps called “Sunday Soccer” around 2pm. I didn’t check with anyone ahead of time to see if folks would be there, even though it had been nearly two years since I last played with this crew. Somehow, I knew they would be there and they were. I last played with them on December 9th, 2023, when I came off early from the field after I felt some calf tightness. In the time since, I recovered from some herniated discs and two back to back rounds of achilles tendinosis in different parts of my achilles (lower then upper). After each injury, just when I thought I could return, another would strike. It’s been exhausting to recover from.

This post isn’t about those injuries though. It’s about the people who continue to do the work to organize and show up, week after week, year over year. I very easily could have shown up to play and found no one at the field. I don’t take it for granted that someone or many someones had to keep the flame alive. In a world that feels increasingly isolated and separate, I want to celebrate those who sustain communities. It’s a gift to be able to step away and to return to something that could be so fleeting without effort. I think about WordCamps and WordPress meetups here too. There are so many organizers who volunteer to show up and do the work that so many benefit from, myself included.

Next time you attend something put on by a person or group of people, remember to say thank you.