February 2025
by Mimi Draft, ETB Communications Manager

On Love of Community, Commitment, and Language  

My name is Mimi Draft. I’m the communications manager with Expanding the Bench® (ETB). As we inch closer to Valentine’s Day, I’m reminded of how this holiday presents a chance to celebrate community. 

One of my fondest memories of being a kid is Valentine’s Day in elementary school. Bubbling over with excitement, I could not wait for the tradition of the annual card and candy exchange with my classmates. I would meticulously pick out my card kit and my favorite bag of sweets to share with friends. I remember sitting with my parents the night before to slide a lollipop into each card, waiting to pass them out at the end of the next school day. 

Now, I realize candy alone is not the only thing to excite me about Valentine’s Day. The chance of fellowship and the shared experience is what made those moments so special. Valentine’s Day in primary school offered: 

• the affirmation of community,  
• share resources
• inclusion
• and kindness

The set expectation that there would be a day to exchange kind words and little treats is not dissimilar to meeting a friend for coffee or going to a potluck for an affinity group. As we get older, many of us see Valentine’s Day centered mostly on romantic love or just a time to buy heart shaped treats. However you define it, at its core, Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love, and love is about community. 

However you define it, at its core, Valentine’s Day is about love, and love is about community. Who can we find share our moments of joy with? Who is beside us in these waves of uncertainty and sweeping change? We are better when we are connected because we can see our own humanity in others.   

At ETB, we understand that we are at a critical time as a community. Our guiding principles are under attack. It’s in moments like these where we ground ourselves and remember who we are. Who do we share our moments of joy with? Who is beside us in these waves of uncertainty and sweeping change? How can we strengthen our connection so we can see our own humanity in others?   

This is not business as usual at ETB, and we are connecting more than ever with our communities to navigate these unchartered waters. We are finding ways to share in small acts of joy as we work towards solutions. Our communal love still lives in those principles found in elementary school gatherings. The world may distort our words and try to tell us inclusive practices are not founded on merit. Yet, we know that when you are affirmed and included through community and accepted for who you are, it endears us with a bond not unlike kids excited to exchange candy in elementary school.