A Story of Mutuality from l'Arche Edmonton

By Brian Smith

Morning Coffee

One of the moments I most appreciate about living together in a L'Arche home is getting up in the morning. It is such a vulnerable time. There are those who are morning people, and those who are not! When I lived at L'Arche Edmonton in the early seventies, Margaret, a woman in her sixties who had spent most of her life in an institution, would get up long before the rest of us and make the coffee. It was a strong brew - she boiled the grounds right in the pot! Her lovely singsong voice greeting us as we emerged from our bedrooms and her loving words, "I've made coffee for my sweetie pie" taught me about mutuality. How much our moods and attitudes affect one another, especially when we begin our day together.


- Mary Bastedo