It’s OK not to be OK.
We opened this month’s Board meeting with the following words of Rev. Molly Brewer:
I cannot pretend,
And so I will not tell you,
That everything is okay right now. That there is no reason to be angry, That you must be optimistic
Or at peace.
I cannot pretend these things, And so I won’t tell them to you. But now our chalice is lit,
And so all I ask in this moment is that we remember the words of Rebecca Parker:
There is a Love.
There is a Love holding us.
There is a Love holding all.
By the light of our chalice, Let us rest in this Love.
In the last few weeks since the Board meeting, it seems that there are even more things to not be OK with . . . and that’s OK. You don’t have to feel good about everything going on around us. You have permission to feel upset, angry, disappointed, and frustrated. But in your anger, disappointment, and frustration, don’t lose sight of the Love around you.
The March 2022 Board meeting included some things to not be OK with, but plenty of Love:
We discussed our disappointment at the lost years of auction dinners and get-togethers. Many of you will be receiving formal notices of cancellation of prior year events if you haven’t gotten them already. But we also focussed on how much we are looking forward to this year’s auction and getting back together in person. More details to follow, but it looks like wine tastings, murder mystery dinners, and the like with be coming soon to a UUCSW home near you.
We discussed our frustration at the fits and starts of resuming normal services, specifically with regard to live music. Everytime we think we’ve turned the corner, another COVID curveball is thrown at us. But optimistically, albeit cautiously, we talked about making steps in a positive direction: getting Kala into the sanctuary on Sundays, planning a Community Concert with live music, looking forward to a small-venue, musical fund-raising reception.
All in all, we’ve got much to look forward to and much to be thankful for, even if there are things not feel OK about.
~Scott Owens, on behalf of the UUCSW Board of Trustees