This weekend, I am headed for a reunion for a dance crew, Punjabbawockeez. It’s a group I joined a decade ago.

The crazy thing is: there are deep connections between members almost a generation apart. Authentic camaraderie and care that is hard to fake.

My brother and two of my close friends have built a wonderful culture of connection that has stood the test of time. Something I rarely see from groups this long. As I was thinking, what makes this so community so unique?

• It’s the journey, not the destination: From the beginning, the founders believed in fun and friendship over results. That made every practice, event, competition more joy than work. And that brought people to show up because they wanted to, not because they had to.

• Meet for real: Every year or so, a group of planners ensured we had an opportunity to meet IRL. We went to NOLA, LA to ATX. That made a huge difference, because connection is forged on the ground level. Not on FB, IG or chats, but in different places with fun spaces.

• Bring your (whole) self: People are the undercurrent of a good community. And we took people who brought themselves to the fullest: the zany, the goofballs, the pranksters and everything in between. You never hid from yourself, and everyone embraced it.

There’s a quote I like to describe this: An overnight success is 10 years in the making.

And I am proud of what the team did to foster such a durable and joyful community.