AHOY NATE!
When did you live in L’Arche, and with whom did you live?
I lived in Angel House from 2018-2020 with Anders, Christianne, Davey, Molly, David, Julianne, Dana, Elina, Emma, Jana, and several more who lived in the home for a shorter season. Following my time in Angel House, I was the House Coordinator of Peace House from 2020-2021, and shared life with Jean, John, Kelly, KC & Brian, Noah, Paul, Jae, Casey, Cherise, Elizabeth, Phyllis, Norma, and Grace.
What was a favorite memory you have from your time living in L’Arche?
As everyone seems to say, there are so many that come to mind. Initially the small, unremarkable memories of doing things together are actually the ones that come to me the strongest. Like running Saturday errands, collaboratively experimenting with a new dinner recipe, sitting on the porch once the weather warms up, watching train videos, or cleaning up after holiday gatherings. But if I’m picking some particular favorites, I would say that one is sharing my birthday with Angel House over dinner at Khyber Pass on Lake Street. Another is having a beach day with Peace House during our summer house vacation in Michigan, the summer following the heaviest pandemic restrictions. Both are memories I hold with a lot of gratitude.
Where are you now? (work/family/city updates)
Now, I’m living in Denver, currently pursuing my degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Colorado Denver. I hope to use this learning to support marginalized people (especially folks with disabilities and the LGBTQ+ community) navigating the complexities of life at the crossroads of mental health, faith & spirituality, and identity. I have a couple years to go! I also just became an uncle for the first time (this month!), and have felt lots of joy that baby James is now part of the world.
What is a lesson from or value of L’Arche’s that you have carried with you since your time living in?
L’Arche showed me a lot about the power of simple, shared rituals and routines—how they come together to give life a steadier shape, and how they offer a soft place to land when life takes turns or brings change. Sometimes knowing that we will pass a candle around the table after dinner, or that we have pancakes for breakfast on Saturdays, or that we decorate for the holidays together every winter, brings grounding, wholeness, and belonging in important ways and at important times. I believe there’s a lot of wisdom in the ways L’Arche embodies this, and I’m trying to find and create these kinds of rhythms in my current season of life.
