Minus my own features, the screen before me was empty. It was 10:38 am PT on Thursday December 11, 2025. The absence of other faces in the Zoom meeting I had opened ten minutes earlier suggested no one else was coming today.

This happens from time to time. On rare occasions, I show up for one of our regular Online Gatherings and find only my eyes, my nose, my mouth flickering in front of me. Pretty much every time, I consider signing off. ‘No one else is here,’ I think – and then catch myself.

The notion no one else is here is mistaken. Certainly no one else is here that I can see or hear in this moment. There are no other faces smiling back at me ‘Brady Bunch-style’. No one is texting or emailing, phoning or messaging to share the fact they are running late and will be there in a minute. But this does not mean no one else is here.

On Thursday, as 10:38 became 10:41 then 10:46, I noticed thoughts of those who had gathered Tuesday coming to mind. Then images of few folks from the past couple Saturday mornings. Then memories of some community members I haven’t see for a while, but know are still out there.

On Thursday, in other words, I witnessed a different kind of community gathering. Realizing this, I reversed my thinking of a few moments earlier – that notion ‘No one else is here’ – and welcomed all who had come together on this day.

I welcomed, as I always do, then settled into a bit of practice with everyone. A twenty or twenty-five minute meditation period with a community of beings for whom I hold much gratitude. A practice session in the Online Gatherings that, in many respects, was just like any other Thursday morning.