Grace-on-the-Hill
Q A &
How have humor and laughter brought you together as a community ?
Hannah Roberts : We laugh a lot . I think David was the first one to really start cracking jokes . It was a way that we all kind of bonded , and it ’ s been something that has kind of sustained us as a house .
David Gorman : One of my favorite things about coming home is telling funny stories about our days around the dinner table . Some of us work with kids , so there are always a lot of fun stories to tell .
Paige Trivett : I think laughter has been a very necessary part of our community . A lot of times , especially at the end of the year , it was one of the ways that we got to know each other . A lot of our early perceptions of each other were based on our senses of humor . We learned a lot about each other ’ s likes and dislikes through that as well .
What do you guys look forward to most about coming home every day ?
Lissie Baker : When I applied to Grace-on-the-Hill , there was some trepidation . I thought , “ I ’ m moving in with five strangers . Is this a dumb idea ?” But thankfully , they were five strangers who were interested in doing similar work and in living intentionally . So I know that when I come home it ’ s going to be clean , it ’ s going to be calm .
HR : My favorite thing about coming home is that I ’ m usually one of the last people to get off of work , and I love to see who is going to be sitting on the front porch when I walk up . Like , “ Who ’ s going to be sitting on the porch reading ?” And catching up and chatting about our day on the front porch .
Bernadette Aylward : There ’ s always a lot of joy here . We definitely have a different lifestyle than a lot of people , and we ’ re missing out on some things because of that , but I think we gain so much in each other . That ’ s great to come home to .
PT : I like that there ’ s no children here . I work with children , often more than eight hours a day , and it ’ s nice to have people around you that understand logic and reasoning and cooperation . Because sometimes kids don ’ t understand those things .
David Gorman : We actually love kids , by the way . Let the record show that we genuinely enjoy working with children !
... Continued on page 24
PHOTO : ASHLEY CAMERON
PHOTO : ASHLEY CAMERON
PHOTO : AMY ROBBINS
VIRGINIA EPISCOPALIAN / SUMMER 2016 23