DLFF Newsletter – December 2024

A Season of Joy

I have been more intentional this year to find joy as much as I can and not let worry and fear creep in too much. Some days are easier to do this than others, of course. I know this time of year can have mixed feelings of sadness and grief as well as happiness and joy. This will be my third holiday without my mom and eleventh without my dad, and yet another holiday navigating strained relationships within the family. It’s all part of our human experience and I try to embrace it for what it is and find those moments that make me smile and laugh.

I found quite a few of those moments last Sunday at UCE. First, let me say that no Sunday is ever typical in my world! Something always pops up unexpectedly and I find myself changing course frequently. While this can be stressful at times, it is never boring.

My first smile came at the beginning of worship when two siblings sitting in the Nest had a little wrestling match on top of the poof ottoman. They somehow managed to keep it fairly quiet, which amazed me. Within seconds, Rev. Susan saw what was happening and came over and settled them down and whispered to another set of parents, who then seemed to take over watching them since their mom, our intern, Emma, was assisting with worship. I then glanced at Emma to see how they would react, expecting to see a look of horror or embarrassment, perhaps. Nope, not at all! I gave them a thumbs-up to say, “all’s well” and they smiled knowingly.

Why, you might be thinking, would this give one a reason to smile? After all, if my kids had acted that way in worship, I would’ve had the look of embarrassment on my face. My smile was in not only acknowledging the challenges of parenthood, but also how we can look out for each other and even more importantly, give permission to others to jump in and help when needed. And the help came from multiple places on top of that! It is a joy to me to see other adults guide our young people in gentle and affirming ways.

My next few smiles came during Ornament Sunday. People of all ages sitting around tables and being creative, talking and giving an occasional hug to each other. We had such a nice selection of ornaments to make this year too! A huge “thank you” to those who staffed a table: Kera Beskin, Wendy Drake, Jim Dribble, Linda Herried, Jeanne Kerl, Gillian Lawrence, Janice Milanovich, Carol Nielsen, Margaret Shaklee, Eileen Wiviott, and to Steve Serikaku for making cards to send to incarcerated UUs.

My last smiles happened during our last session of the Our Whole Lives (OWL) sex ed program. I stood by the door to let young people come in as they arrived – some looking not too happy to be here, as they felt that they didn’t have a choice whether to go or not. But in the last half hour or so while talking with parents in another room, I could hear them really engaged with the topic of consent and peer pressure. At the end of their session, they had an ice cream treat and received journals with owls on them, which was a hit. And when it was time to say good-bye for the last time together, there was some sadness. This is what made me smile – not that they were sad, but that they had formed a bond and connection with each other deep enough to then know they would be missed and that they’d like to keep in touch. It’s all because of the wonderful adults, Kendall Matias, Christine Peters, and Hugh Graham, who brought their joy and love of the OWL program to share with our young people.

My hope is for all of you to find the little joys around you this holiday season that make you smile.

In Faith,

Kathy