“con-gress [n. kong-gris; v. kuhn-gres, kuhng-]
noun
:  the act or action of coming together and meeting”

As I watch our beloved Congress stalemate itself again and bring the American government along with it, I’m reminded of another type of congress – a congress of volunteers.

Although not commonly associated with the word, a congress can simply be the coming together of people with a purpose, to get something done.

The Sunday crew

Case in point – the students at the martial arts studio, Dragon’s Way, where my kids and I take lessons. About a dozen of us banded together this weekend to scrub carpets, build walls, paint, patch, clean, and renew. The work was long; the end result was something we could all be proud of. A congress of volunteers.

Discouraged by another shutdown?

Part of the Saturday crew.

Then look around at all the people in your community that are getting things done, every day. Volunteers, service clubs, churches, schools, and businesses to name but a few types of congresses that are meeting with passion for a purpose.

That’s the type of congress that inspires me.

The weekend’s gift of time … Worked with my fellow martial art students to improve our studio. It was a congress of which I could be proud.