The Magic of Rotary is belonging, and it’s a feeling that can appear when you ​least expect it.

Earlier this year, I was in Slovakia serving as a president’s representative during a ​six-week trip through Europe. When I wrote to Katarina Cechova, governor of ​District 2240 at the time, I mentioned that my grandmother Veronica Zilka grew ​up in a small village in the area before settling in the U.S.

It wasn’t long before Cechova tracked down my grandmother’s village, Jakubova ​Vol’a. She even organised a visit for me where I received an unforgettable ​Slovakian welcome.

When I entered the community centre of Jakubova Vol’a, a small crowd of people ​dressed in traditional Slovakian clothing greeted me. They sang with beautiful ​and powerful Central European voices that reminded me of my grandmother.

A lot of families play cards or games when they get together. When I was young, ​my father would pick up his accordion and lead my family in song. My ​grandmother would sing along with her impressive voice.

When I walked into the community centre and heard traditional music from my ​childhood — when I saw a woman play the accordion the way my dad played — I ​suddenly felt like a little girl sitting at my grandmother’s house in Monessen, ​Pennsylvania. I burst into tears of joy at the memories.

But the magic didn’t stop there. District Governor Cechova really outdid herself. A ​local genealogist worked with a videographer to make a short film about my ​grandmother. We watched the video together in the community centre.

When the video ended, I turned around and saw a man standing in the back of ​the room. I quickly learned that this stranger, Frantisek Zilka, was my second ​cousin. His grandmother and mine had been sisters. I felt like I had been struck ​by lightning.

I visited my newfound cousin’s home, which happens to be the home where my ​grandmother was born. There, he shared old photographs I had never seen of ​my dad, my uncle, and my grandmother.

Since then, I can’t stop thinking about my family of Rotary. When I refer to you as ​my family, I’m not just being kind. I really think of everyone in Rotary as my ​family. But I never would have imagined that my Rotary family would introduce ​me to long-lost personal family.

Sitting in that community centre listening to traditional Slovakian music from my ​childhood filled me with joy and a profound sense of belonging. I am so grateful ​to District Governor Cechova and everyone who helped create that magical ​experience.

As members of Rotary, we have a unique opportunity to share the same magic ​with each other and with the world. I encourage you to consider how you can ​help spread that magic and ensure other members of your club — other ​members of our Rotary family — feel like they truly belong.