Every summer, approximately thirty of our friends whom we met after joining an amateur musical theatre group, come over for a night of eating, drinking, and singing. My husband and I prepare the house by cleaning, venturing over to the cheese boutique to make the perfect charcuterie board, picking up the essential chips before coming home to set up the backyard, which is a key part of the summer jam. Centered around the fire pit, we arrange chairs and benches for everyone to sit around the roaring fire while we sing, drink, and make the perfect s’more. We wrap the twinkle lights around the big tree behind the fire pit for added ambiance, and stake two rows of tiki torches to provide a pathway from the back porch to the fire pit. Now we’re set up. In addition to our own snacks and refreshments, our new-found family brings over an assortment of home-made mini chocolate-chip banana muffins, oatmeal cookies, veggie platters, chips, dips, etc. to fill our kitchen island until not an inch of it can be seen (Insert picture of island, benches around the fire). Some people can be seen hanging around the kitchen snacking, on the back porch sitting around the table laughing, or by the fire taking in the fire smell and roasted marshmallows. But once the guitars are out, everyone gathers around the fire to sing it out. There is no greater joy. These people have become family – chosen family – and that CHANGES EVERYTHING!
Comments