By Rob Vugrnick

I do want to write about the blessed community of the Milwaukee Meeting because even though I was never a major part,  other than making coffee for a few years, the community led me to Quakerism,  and it has had a major impact on my life.  For those who think these are just words, you do not know my heart.  As I am a slow starter,  I am just getting to know friends at the Cleveland meeting,  where I now live,  and they are wonderful too.

One day I typed the word Quaker on the Web and the ideas that came up seem to line up with my thinking. So  I walked into the friends meeting not knowing what to expect, and entered what seemed like a magical kingdom.  It started outside, the setting of the land, on a summer day, walking past the woods to the building, up the porch to the doors, I remember it as if it was yesterday.  I was invited in, there was a bible study in the library led by Ravenna, and the whole experience was so welcoming calming and wonderful.  It was summer and the worship group was smaller at that time, but seeing the trees through the meeting windows, experiencing the silent worship for the first time, and the Quaker ways just felt right.  Being new, you are approached after meeting with vigor and interest, Eleanor’s wonderful smile and energy was felt immediately, Rogers calm interest and welcoming is remembered, as was so many others.

But the blessed experiences for me continued for years and some of them did seem kind of  magical.  There was Rebecca like right out of SunnyBrook Farms, with sunny hair, a rosy smile, full of energy for the land. It was a joy going to land day, following her lead and love of the property.   There was Karen, Glenn and Kai (what a wonderful name) taking care of the building,  And let me say Glenn is Quaker from head to toe!

Elizabeth with her quiet feeling of the spirit willing  to share her emotions with her inner light, and her classes I attended did help me.  Roger’s silent retreat with his husband John is something I will remember, (I do recommend that he not sip coffee in silent worship).  I am holding dear John in the light at this time.

At meeting I attended my first Quaker Wedding and it was so beautiful. About a year later I talked to the pregnant wife and told her she was going to be a great mother,  and she startled me with the reply “How would you know that Rob”.  I didn’t have a good response, but I’m looking forward to meeting her daughter someday,  and I know she will confirm she has a wonderful mother.

Then there is Ann Marie with the wonderful hats,  smiles and voice,   and  Don Pardee with the wonderful songs.  There is Mary who put my name forward many times to get me involved and gave me opportunities to sing, and she is a wonderful piano player, a lover of peace and justice. 

Janet who invited me to Nightingales which is really “Nightingals”, but it was wonderful. When I was doing dishes Janet said I would make someone a good wife someday. I loved it. I miss Janet’s singing. Many others lent me books, sat by me, talked to me, and influenced me just by their presence. 

 And let’s be honest, as part of any community, I think I rubbed some people the wrong way (maybe some I mentioned in this writing).   But it really doesn’t matter because I am not writing about me,  but about your community which is a blessed community.  That has a wonderful history worth sharing, and continuing and growing.  Unlike  me, so many of you have dedicated your time, labor, treasure, years of service,  to the Milwaukee Meeting.  I envy the stability  of time and experiences you have had there,  and the amount of lives I know you have influenced,  with mine being just one.