“We gather together this morning,
Because others came before us.
Some have left examples for us to follow,
Others lessons for us to learn from,
and the paradox is that many have left both pain and joy.
We honor our ancestors this morning, not because they are perfect,
But because, without them, we would not be here,
Together,
Sharing our joy, our pain, our living and our dying.” – Chris Rothbauer, The Paradox of Ancestry

               As winter begins to creep in, and I reflect on my relationship to change, I cannot help but to focus on the most significant change that has recently occurred in my personal life: becoming a mother. Less than half a year in, it has already shown me a lot about my tendencies and who I aim to be. I now consider (and perhaps sometimes overthink) the limits of my time and energy, while knowing the importance of being in the moment. It has pushed me to both realize how prioritizing organization helps me stay calm and maintain focus, and how being a parent is sometimes embracing chaos. I hold myself and my partner to different expectations and yet, recognize that compassion and understanding are keys to success. I have experienced utter exhaustion and I am more needed than ever. I am also amazed with my energy being shifted and amplified. One of the most noticeable differences I have witnessed in myself is how much more lightly I tend to sleep now.

               My path to becoming a mother has not always been easy. I have had my share of heartache and anxiety around pregnancy and birth, and those, too, are gifts because of their deepening of empathy and gratitude. So much of it has not been what I anticipated or preferred but have mostly learned to embrace.

               In a nutshell, parenting is so often paradoxical and radically impactful. I don’t know of any parent who can honestly say that it is everything they predicted it would be. As I write this, I am reminded that (although, of course, not every birth giver parents and not every parent gives birth), we must protect peoples’ right to consciously decide whether they wish to bring another human into this world and support them through their journey of choice.

               I pray today that we know balance in the imbalance and how it’s never stagnant. May there be presence in the planning, the embrace of chaos among the order, boundaries alongside compassion, energy from rest, and growth from holding both grief and gratitude. May the future know us as ancestors who exemplified our values and did everything in our power to build a more just, kind, and sustainable world. Let us consider how we would like to change today, for tomorrow.

Nursery care
We now plan to have the nursery open every Sunday during worship and during some of our Wednesday night activities. Ireland and Diane L. are scheduled to be present this week.

Children’s Faith Development

Children’s Chapel is held every Sunday from 10:45-11:30am, including the first Sundays of the month. I look forward to honoring Transgender Day of Rememberance this week in Children’s Chapel, with the book Being You: A First Conversation About Gender (https://youtu.be/UX5GHak_zcM) and some conversation around the topic in Children’s Chapel.

Youth Group
Tonight, from 6:30-8pm, Lee and I will be at UUFM for Youth Group. We plan to do a check-in, eat pizza, make reflective art, and play a game.

While plans with the youth group have been tentative recently due to low attendance, our current intention is to hold sessions every Sunday during this timeframe, as well as once a month on Wednesday evenings. This Sunday, we have available facilitators that I am working on confirming.