Our emotional and practical commitments to each other are strong. We try to be understanding and accepting of each other as well as responsive to each other's particular needs for support and healthful stimulation. We want our environment to be one that encourages people to try new things, re-evaluate old behavior patterns and act from a place of empowerment and kindness. Conflict resolution is highly valued and we strive to work out our difficulties with a timely and direct approach. Members are expected to be available to one another for feedback about what they say or do as a member of the group. Our lives are closely intertwined and what one person does often affects us all.

We try to live in cooperation with sensitivity and intentionality. By staying small we are generally successful in allowing group trust and honesty to guide the decisions we make individually and as a community. Major decisions are made by consensus, with others left to individual discretion. How we reach decisions is as important as what we decide.

Our lifestyle is loosely structured and we try to get along with as few rules as possible. We support each other in getting our needs met by closely communicating with one another. Flexibility and a willingness to change are essential to this process. We also have an annual retreat where we focus on our short and long range visions and delve more deeply into interpersonal issues.