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Firefly turns 18 today.

If it were a person, it would be a legal adult, maybe thinking about career options and scanning Craigslist for apartments.

If it were a dog, it would be loping along the sidewalk slowly, hips wavering, people stopping to say, “Wow, what a trooper.”

If it were an elected official, it would be long past its tenure.

But instead it’s a community, and here we are, still gathering, still making new things. We’ve run over 5000 workshop sessions, 150 retreats, sent over 13,000 Hello Writer packs in the mail. 102 monthly team meetings.

18 years of struggle and luck, grace and grit, uncertainty and trust. Unanswerable questions. Daily growth. Therapy galore.

I’ve been at a loss, trying to figure out if and how to mark this.

On one hand, milestones feel so arbitrary. It’s just another day, right? But on the other hand, I know that we all need sacred moments to pause and take stock and celebrate. So I scanned through memories of milestones and chose three ways to make this real.

Reflection. Looking back is an important part of milestones, so I spent the better part of yesterday morning scrolling through old photos, sighing, smiling, and pulling out 10 to share today. If you use social media, we’d love for you to add your own memories! You can find the galleries on Instagram and Facebook.
Gathering. I wish I’d had the forethought to throw a big party today. Instead, the team is doing a training about gender diversity from the great people at Canvas, which feels like a very-Firefly way to celebrate. I’m seeing a beloved client this afternoon. And my inbox is wide open if anyone wants to send memories or reflections on what Firefly has meant to you.
Exchange. First of all, I made you something. All this thinking about milestones gave me an idea for a writing prompt video—you can watch it here. And, if you are blessed with disposable income to want to give us a gift, you can donate to our bursary fund here. Every dollar goes into making programs more accessible to people with income barriers.

I’m glad you’re here.

Google tells me that 9/10 businesses are gone by now. I can’t express my luck that we are somehow still trucking. I know that it’s because of you.

Grateful, grateful, grateful,

Firefly turns 18 today!