According to Rick Ingrasci, there are few things in life better than the joy of open-hearted community gatherings.

Seated in his living room, he invites his guests to get comfortable, modeling it himself as he sits sideways in a stuffed chair, his legs flopped over the side.

Throughout his life he has fostered social gatherings, fun parties, and educational retreats. His passion is bringing people together into a safe, supportive environment, so everyone wants to open their hearts and connect.

Ingrasci’s wife, Peggy Taylor, seated on a couch across him, says her husband believes in developing that “third great place.” The first place is home, second is work. The third place could be a café, a church, a park, a community center — any place where a person can relax and feel part of community, which allows for a social connection instead of isolation.

Suzanne Fageol, an Episcopal priest and friend of Ingrasci, said she has seen Ingrasci at work building community and connections in many ways.

“Rick started the South Whidbey Y2K community effort for preparedness. He generated ideas that created many offshoot programs and projects, including the ‘Neighbor to Neighbor’ group. He stays focused on bringing members of the community closer together. Not only did it bring us closer to preparedness for any type of disaster, it also opened opportunities for strangers to become friends and for a deeper sense of community, of strength and bonding.”

Fageol said when nothing happened with Y2K, Ingrasci said “Yoorah” and went on designing projects and ideas to foster even better community spirit.

He does this sort of thing, said Ingrasci’s friend and Power of Hope group co-founder Charlie Murphy, because he believes that everyone who is part of a community should be involved.

“One phrase I learned from Rick is ‘the game is more fun if everyone blossoms.’” he said. “Living a life of service, and for the greater good, is what Rick lives for. I am amazed at the extent and depth of Rick’s involvement in the community, from the Island County Smart Growth Coalition, the world sits down to dinner, to musical productions, or by bringing powerful voices like Jane Goodall to our community.”

Murphy said Ingrasci and Taylor open their home to more social gatherings than anyone else he knows. He remembers one time when his Irish Catholic father came to visit. They celebrated Murphy’s’ father’s 75th birthday at Ingrasci and Taylor’s home.

“Rick brought out his accordion and played some traditional Irish tunes,” he said. “My father took my hand and said to me, ‘I think I am going to cry, this is so beautiful.’”

Ingrasci said that when a group of people come together, open their hearts, play together, and are willing to ‘get stupid together,’ it brings hope to the world. There is no better high, and it brings meaning to life.

“My heart opens and closes on a daily basis,” he said. “When it’s closed I get irritable, people around me notice I get snappy, and will say, ‘Rick must be having a bad day.’ When my heart is closed my life rings hollow.”

He says he pays attention to this hollow ring, so he can change what he’s doing to bring meaning back into his life.

“I notice the hollow ring with the onset of commercialism around Christmas,” he said. “The materialistic focus is not what I want to experience during this beautiful religious season. Or if I watch mindless television I feel the hollow ring coming.”

He said the hollow ring can be heard being in a crowd of people where there is no desire to connect. Or in a group where the mood is of fear, mistrust, or anxiety.

On the other hand, when he is around people with open hearts, he is filled up.

“People with open hearts are just more fun to be around,” he said. “People want to hang with them.”

For him, human connection is a joyous exchange of laughter and love and trust.

“People are like lamps — when our hearts are open, our lights can brighten up the room. But when our hearts are closed, our lights are blocked by our dark shade. Closing off our hearts out of fear or distrust is our way of protecting ourselves, but the closure only guarantees us hurt and emptiness.”

He said closed hearts constrict possibilities; open hearts expand possibilities.

Ideally, Ingrasci said, life is a daily spiritual practice and continues to grow until death.

“I don’t want to make any wild claims that I live my life this way all the time,” he said. “But I do think about it and strive for it.”

Ingrasci has led a full life, yet there was a hole in his heart. At age 17, he and his high school girl friend put their baby daughter up for adoption.

“Not knowing how she was, if she was happy or well, haunted me,” he said.

When Ingrasci mentioned the possibility of finding his daughter, his mother said, “You know not one day has gone by that I have not thought of her.” He set out to find her. The only regret and sadness Ingrasci has is that by the time he found his daughter in August 2000, his parents had both passed away.

The day that Ingrasci met his daughter, it was the happiest day of his life. She has a happy life, is happily married and has a little 4-year-old girl named Olivia.

“I now understand why we grandparents are so gaga,” he said “My goodness Olivia is just one perfect child.”

Ingrasci says he is so grateful and appreciative to his daughter’s adoptive parents for doing a fine job raising her.

“We are all one extended family,” he said. “Now there are more people to love. My daughter Amy has permanently changed my life for the better. I have had lots of peak experiences in my life, but this one ranks at the very top.”

Ingrasci said his life feels complete.

“I live in the one of the best communities in the world, not only because of its natural beauty, for it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. But it’s the good-hearted people that make Whidbey a special place on earth.”

Charlie Murphy said Ingrasci is part of that special place. Ingrasci is an “amazing ally” for anyone who wants organize a party, a conference or fundraiser. He connects people and makes himself available on a daily basis to lend his time, networking skills, and other resources to making things happen. He is dedicated to easing suffering and loneliness in his community, and in the world, and he does this from a open heart and a place of joy.