Belonging

I’ve been a Quaker now for several years, and couldn’t believe my luck when I realised that Leiston has one of just four Quaker Meeting Houses in Suffolk. Built in 1860 and a short walk from where our new home is taking shape, the Meeting House is a delightfully historic place where I increasingly feel at home.

Perhaps it’s because it’s in Leiston that I feel a strong sense of connection, or perhaps it’s simply because of the way Friends here have welcomed me into their tight knit community. Norwich Meeting, where I used to be a member was also welcoming, but Leiston is a smaller Meeting, and has a sense of spiritual intimacy I’d not experienced elsewhere.

Over coffee after Meeting this week, I found myself talking knowledgably about the building, the Meeting and the town, with a visitor who was staying in the area for the weekend. I realised, as I spoke, that I have finally arrived at the place where I really belong.