It’s LOVE actually

Bishop Michael Curry opened his speech at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with the words of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr, who said: “We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way.”

The Bishop then added: “There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalise. There is power, power in love.”

Love is the theme that ran through my married life and has given me my purpose since the Doc died over 7-years ago. I didn’t watch the Royal Wedding as I still find the whole couple thing tough to engage with. I did manage to catch the Bishop’s speech on the radio though and what a magnificent piece of fire and brimstone it was. I almost regret not watching it if only to catch the expression on the Queen’s face!

It reminds me of how much love we all have to give and how much more meaning there is in our lives if we give as much of ourselves as we can. I’ve found real joy creating Evermore with my Tribe. We all have the same passion and mission to abolish institutional environments and reimagine places where we can have long-term meaningful relationships with each other.

We’ve been on a journey. It started with attempting to build our own physical communities to provide small households for older people. We helped bring failing small care home operators back to sustainable life. We’re now working with the NHS, Council commissioning teams and likeminded providers who know that 20th Century models are no longer fit-for-purpose. We are nudging naturally occurring communities back to life.

And when one particularly virulent Twitter debater asked me: “but what are you actually doing?” I was able to honestly say that I live the Evermore way every day.

At the ripe old age of 52, I have made the conscious decision to move to a place where I can join an existing, thriving community. And as I sit here on my front porch sharing the story of my day with my next door neighbours, with background sounds of sheep and a cuckoo (that’s definitely a first for me!), I know it has been the right move. I have been welcomed into this small Welsh community and encouraged to join in with them. My veteran hound Hector has a new lease of life too, trotting up the hill – still not so keen on the beach as the sand gets in everywhere when you’re so low slung!

My point is, as always, we have to join in, be open and yes, love our neighbours. That way we’ll never feel alone. And I know the Doc would approve.

Sara

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Sara McKee, Evermore Founder

Follow Sara on Twitter @SaraMcKeeFRSA