Britt & Friends

Baby girl makes me giggle. Head draped off the side of her pillow, rawhide tucked behind her ear, she sighs at my chuckle and goes back to sleep. Baby girl is a lot of work. I’ve questioned if it’s worth it. What was it like sleeping-in until whenever? It’s only been three weeks since I had that freedom and I can hardly remember.

But she’s so cute. She makes friends so easily. Tail wagging, body crouched, ready to pounce in excitement. I’ve lived in this house for six months and after just three weeks with her I’ve already met more neighbors than in those first five months. She begs shamelessly for pets and people are happy to comply.

It’s hard to meet people in a new town. Having a puppy helps, but it’s no easy fix. I spend more time on the phone talking with friends scattered across the country than talking with people that live in my zip code. It seems that proximity doesn’t ensure depth. Only time can do that, and I just haven’t had enough of it yet.

But here is Britt, my cute baby girl, wiggling and wagging. She sucks people into her world. I learn their names as I keep her from scratching and nibbling on their hands and arms. I tell them where I live and ask how long they’ve been part of the neighborhood.

Charlottesville, my new hometown, is healing from a summer of pain. Rallies and violence and death laid bare deep divisions and left us raw.

Selfishly, I want friends because I need human connection. I need deep conversations and to be known by people who are close enough to hang out at a moment’s notice. I need to be challenged and encouraged. I need to laugh. I need to eat good food and share about my day.

Selflessly, though, I want friends because I know that it is through relationships that we heal. Through knowing our neighbors, we can begin to rebuild. It won’t be easy or quick, and we might hurt each other sometimes in the process, but it’s worth the risk. It’s worth the investment in each other’s lives.

I can’t remember what it’s like to sleep past 6:30 in the morning, but my puppy dog is leading me out onto my neighborhood streets. She is sparking conversations with people across a lot of divisions. Turns out a cute puppy helps people drop their guard.

She will grow up soon. Hopefully the seeds of friendship we are planting will too.