The Cookout You Never Knew You Needed

A monthly potluck can make a whole community feel like home

On the last Saturday night in April, my wife Zoraida and I laid in bed, suspended in quiet doom. There was nothing left to say; we were certain we’d made an irreversible mistake. A couple of months earlier, I had sent an email to roughly fifty neighbors that read, “On the last Sunday of each warm month, starting in April, our yard will be open to you and your kids all afternoon for eating, drinking, playing, soaking in the outdoor tub, and even napping in the hammock or camper if you need to sleep off the hooch!”

The “and your kids” clause was the greatest point of concern. We lay there for a long while, picturing other people’s children sliding face-first down the basement Bilco doors into the concrete landing, or gliding blindly into the nearby intersection on our son’s homemade jalopy. Then, Zoraida broke the silence. “Should we find a sitter?” she asked. “For tomorrow?” I replied, “For all those kids?” She slowly rolled over and went to sleep. I opened the notes application on my phone and glanced over the RSVPs: 31 adults and 16 kids. Then I tried to access my home insurance account, but the password reset code went to Zoraida’s email, not mine. I put the phone down and closed my eyes.