It's been in the air and on the streets for months, change. As I walk my dog around my Congress Heights neighborhood the signs are all around: vacant properties under renovation, "For Sale" signs and moving trucks. Formerly vacant and blighted properties discovering new life as families of all types (gay, straight, single-parent, etc.) move in. 

And I for one think that is a very good thing. 

As I meet my "new" neighbors they all have something in common: excitement. They are excited for not only their new homes, but they have a general interest in connecting with the community and their neighbors , many who like me are happy to welcome these new additions to the village. In my 20+ years of living in DC no where have people been more inviting than in Ward 8, press narratives and social media tweets not withstanding. We are a community of huggers and wavers. 

It takes all types to make a community stronger, healthier and happier and I see that on my Congress Heights block everyday. From Mr. Casey, an octogenarian who made the great migration from the south 40 years ago;  to my own condo purchase in 2007;  to John and his family who moved in last month, all of us are now Congress Heights and Ward 8 residents. Each of us made a decision to base our most valuable assets -- our families  -- here in Ward 8. To invest emotionally as well as financially in a neighborhood we want to see flourish and prosper. We stand with our Washingtonian neighbors in solidarity to build a community that is safe, vibrant and inclusive to all. We are a community of neighbors united by more than just our zip code.

We are the tapestry of growing and evolving neighborhoods. While our threads may be diverse, woven together we have become something beautiful and unique: a community. 

And to me, that's what a community resembles, a great quilt made up of a lot of different pieces or fabric of all shapes, sizes and colors, sewn together to make something beautiful and precious.