It’s no secret that I love the YMCA. Their openness to partner with me through my grief journey, to provide memberships for my daughter and I in exchange for my weekly Y articles, the life-giving staff, and the beneficial programs, are just some of the many reasons I have endless accolades for the Stork family YMCA in Waterloo.
One of the things I find so endearing, that feds my soul as a human being, is the atmosphere of the culture at the YMCA. When I step into that environment, I can’t tell who is rich or poor, who received supplemented memberships or who could afford to pay full price. When I step through those doors, it doesn’t matter. The group of individuals within those walls are the Y. Young and old can be found inside. Toned and shapely body types both join, and lead, the classes. Staff and volunteers contribute with a genuine demeanor of care for their fellow human. All are welcome, and the common thread I see woven between this tapestry of individuals is the golden string of community. From what I’ve heard, that same golden string is not just woven through the Waterloo YMCA, but it is a pattern I suspect I would find repeated if I walked through the doors of a center in China, or England, or any other YMCA in the world.
Happy thought #46 is that my daughter and I have the privilege, not because of race, religion, or financial income, but rather choice, to participate in the living art that is the Stork Family YMCA.
Where in the world have you visited a YMCA? Please share. I’d love to hear how far this thread has been woven amoung our readers.
