Last Friday at the end of Emma’s Revolution’s concert, I was lingering in the sanctuary, chatting with a few people who had been sitting with me. After introducing the duo at the beginning of the concert, Peter and I had sat near the front, and as we got ready to leave a woman approached me. Knowing that I was the minister here, she didn’t bother with introductions, she just began speaking.
“My first time in a Unitarian Universalist congregation,” she told me, “was to attend a commitment ceremony for two women many years ago.” I smiled and nodded.
“I hadn’t been comfortable in churches for a while as a lesbian,” she continued, “but since that service, I’ve felt welcomed in UU churches.I want to thank you for that.” A few more sentences passed between us – I told her I was glad that had been her experience, she replied – and it was clear that she wasn’t thanking me, but rather thanking the whole of Unitarian Universalism. So, on behalf of all of the UU world, I said “you’re welcome.”
The next day, I logged on to Facebook and found the private group of my ministerial colleagues and recounted the exchange. “Since she meant the gratitude for all of us, I thought you should know,” I told them. Unless I’m paying attention, I forget to say thank you enough. This anonymous woman for whatever reason felt it necessary to let me know that she felt safe coming into our building for a concert, and while I had no real part in her gratitude, her offered thanks.
It’s thanks to all of you, too, for making it possible for her to come and be part of the concert, to be in community with us and our neighbors and friends who came along to that night of music.
Anne Sexton in “Welcome Morning” extolls the pleasures of her kitchen in the early hours. In her pea-green house, she notes the joy she finds in brushing her hair, the sound of the kettle, the chair and the table all of which greet her each morning. She ends by reminding herself and us:
So while I think of it,
let me paint a thank-you on my palm
for this God, this laughter of the morning,
lest it go unspoken.
The Joy that isn’t shared, I’ve heard,
dies young.
Where is the gratitude in your life? Who might you thank for something that supports and nurtures you? It doesn’t even have to be directed to the exact person or place or time. It is enough to paint a thank-you on your palm for the gifts of time, of love, of safety, of comfort that have made your life rich.
Drop me a note of your gratitude for whatever makes you thankful and I’ll share in a blog next month!
I am thankful for Rev. Lindas words of inspiration from the pulpit and the opportunity to participate in the events of the fellowship. QUUF is my favorite place to go in Port Townsend. From Suzanne Hempstead
I always walk away from Linda’s Sunday message feeling lighter and more courageous. I feel a deeper sense of connection and an affirming sense that a world of loving kindness is surrounding my grief and easing my passage.
Thank you, dear Linda!
I am grateful to have a home where me and my furry and leafy friends are safe, and will thrive. I am grateful for QUUF, my second and more stable home. And to be allowed to be questioning everything, and openly queer, and have a voice here that is often listened to!
I am especially thankful today for having a “spirited” conversation with friends that disagree with me about a current important issue without becoming disagreeable. We remarked how good it was to feel safe enough to share our thoughts and feel heard and respected despite divergent points of view and remain friends.
I am eternally thankful for the flowers that bloom and kiss the air that fills our lungs with the scent of lilacs and lilies, and children and elders. It’s all there, waiting for us to step outside of our busy minds and rest as we’re carried along the path. I am grateful to hear the songs of our congregation that lift hearts, heal, and give us a true sanctuary for a short time each week, regardless what else is tugging at our heartstrings. The air that comes from the lips of each of us matters. It is shared and sacred. Let us all whisper sweet nothings to spring and life and this community! Thank you for creating this space, Rev. Linda. You are a gem.
I am thankful for my husband and family first – the joys of grandchildren and our own children – manifest a thousandfold in my heart. But I am also thankful for this town with all its artistic offerings and folks and this UU community with all its activists and volunteers.
I am grateful each time someone in the fellowship reaches out to me with a smile,a few kind words or an offer to give me a ride.
Those special friends who cherish being open and kind,
willing to listen to your story!
I am thankful for all the amazing blessings of my life, including all the joys and challenges of the QUUF community, amid people I would not otherwise know, or with whom I would not otherwise have things in common. In their variety of viewpoints and personalities, their influence and interactions are growth-provoking and inspirational.