Story & Photos by Marianne Salza
Committing oneself to pause and savor a cup of coffee is a practice of self-care. Cobblestones owner, Jennifer Gallagher, starts each day with the intention of adhering to this morning ritual: drinking coffee prepared hot with oat milk and sugar, and served in a white cup and saucer for charm. Inevitably, Gallagher becomes distracted by tasks after her first sip; but arranging a breakfast spread of fresh parfaits and quiche is one expression of love that she is always devoted to.
On February 11, Gallagher invited The Chestnuts Group – a non-profit, social organization for Boston women over 50 — to her Beacon Hill eatery to share a meal with new friends. The ladies have bonded over the past three years since Gallagher opened her café, where The Chestnuts often meet for their Community Coffees, a morning or early afternoon event held once or twice a month at a local coffee shop. Members individually purchase their own coffee or tea, and The Chestnuts Group provides pastries.
“I love the activities that they do in the city, together. I was always curious about them. I was very happy to be accepted into membership,” said Gallagher, who begrudgingly admitted that she met the age requirement to qualify. “It’s a fun, low-key group of women who are out for good, clean fun. It’s special.”
The Back Bay resident revealed that she has not developed friends like The Chestnuts since college, and that the club is a unique opportunity in an urban setting. As society continues to evolve, Gallagher considers The Chestnuts Group as a remarkable, safe space.
“It’s a wonderful addition in our world,” expressed Gallagher.
Nellie King, who became a Chestnut this past fall, regularly attends Community Coffees. Formerly from San Diego, California, King joined in hopes of making more friends to enjoy life and experience Boston with.
“A lot of people later in life move to the city, and when they do that, all of the friends that they had get left behind. I think women – especially at our age – are looking for new connections. They’ve raised their kids and are ready to start a new phase,” explained King, a Back Bay resident. “It’s great. Everybody is super friendly. It’s easy to talk to people.”
Also new to Massachusetts is Donna Hellman, who has been a Chestnut for three years. A friend of hers from back home in New York, moved to Boston, and suggested she join the community. Now the Back Bay resident enjoys participating in the wide range of activities, from cultural tours to canasta.
“A lot of our members are people who have raised their children in the suburbs and have moved back to Boston,” noted Hellman. It’s a nice, eclectic group of women. We’re interested in friendship and bonding.”
Hellman describes The Chestnuts as a group of like-minded women who are enthusiastic, interested, and engaged, which is precisely what she was in search of and found.
On February 14, Hellman organized the second meeting of a new Chestnut event, a Documentary Film Group, which began in January with a discussion about Martha Stewart. Each month, members can screen a documentary that is chosen by consensus, and viewed at their leisure before the meeting. The Documentary Film Group then gathers for a thoughtful exchange about the movie.
“The conversation develops organically,” said Hellman, who facilitated the conversation held at the Capitol One Café. “We’re really excited because one is on human rights, and one is on medical care. These are both relevant topics today.”
The ladies viewed two works by documentary filmmaker and new Chestnuts member, Lorie Conway.
“Forgotten: Ellis Island,” which has a companion book, expands on the immigration hospital located on Ellis Island, New York. The massive 22-building facility was constructed during a time when there were no antibiotics created to fight the exotic diseases infecting those arriving to the immigration station.
“It’s about the lost chapter in immigration history,” said Conway. “Ellis Island was the largest port of entry for European immigration during the turn of the 20th century. Many of them were sick. The saying was, ‘If you weren’t sick when you got on the steamship, and you landed in New York Harbor three weeks later, you might be sick.’”
Conway is one of the 40% of Americans today who can trace their lineage to the immigrants who entered the United States through Ellis Island. She finds it impressive that only 1% of the 12 million immigrants were deported from Ellis Island for medical reasons.
“These doctors and nurses on Ellis Island were faced with thousands of patients. They knew they could get sick themselves; and yet, they were there day after day, taking care of these patients with compassion,” Conway emphasized. “In spite of nativism, which we are experiencing today, there was a prevailing attitude that the immigrants were good for us. The debate continues: do we take them in or do we not? I think we’re a better nation with immigrants.”
The second documentary illustrates the life and work of Beatrice Mtetwa, a civil rights lawyer in Zimbabwe, a country of desperate starvation and conditions.
“In a country where courage can get you killed, the dramatic series, ‘Beatrice,’ tells the story about one of the bravest women in the world,” Conway exclaimed. “This is a story that is near and dear to my heart. Nothing has changed in Zimbabwe. The system is dysfunctional and remains a corrupt country. A huge diaspora has left the country; and only those without the means to leave remain there if they’re not the ruling elite.”
Conway believes that the documentaries about Ellis Island and Beatrice Mtetwa are relevant topics today.
“Being a filmmaker of these kinds of stories elevates their voices because they’re strong and passionate about what they do,” said Conway, who enjoyed sharing her experiences with fellow Chestnuts.