| |
We (Dave and I) crossed the
threshold of Toronto First
the first Sunday in January 1992.
. having survived yet another Christmas season
with Catholic and Anglican families
not sharing their beliefs about Jesus, God
.. or many other aspects of life for that matter.
We came to explore whether this would be right for us .
whether it might help us fill the void
and find ways to teach our children
.. we were tired of telling them what we didn't believe.
We found our spiritual home that day
and in the weeks, months and years that followed
it has done what a home is supposed to do -
. fed and nourished us
. taught and informed us
. challenged our growth
. carried us when we were broken
. needed us to be a contributing part of the whole
. and accepted what we could give, even when we could give
nothing.
It's a good thing that I don't believe in destiny or punishment ,
. because the fires started burning right after we found this
home.
In April of that year, with our 4th child 6 months old
Dave lost his job of 15 years.
With few other jobs around, we started our own business .
Moved in '93 .
Adding care of aging parents to our already overfull plate.
My mother died in '95
My sister's husband in '97
Both Dave's parents in '98
. while my father was deteriorating with emphysema.
In 2000, I went back to school
Reaching for a dream to be a teacher
.. thriving on every moment.
But a car accident tore our world apart
with Dave having serious head injuries and being in St. Michael's
for a month
... and then we began a rehabilitation process that we are still
working on now.
Dave's brother's wife and my dad died in 2002.
We are learning to take the damaged pieces of our lives,
Reshape them as best we can; add new pieces
And accept that the puzzle doesn't look quite the same.
We hope that we will come to like the new puzzle -
as well as the old one, or maybe even better.
Through all this, being Unitarian
having found my spiritual home
being part of this community
has been my life-line
that I have clung to because my life depended on it.
I strive to live my life by the seven UU principles, that I have
taken as my own.
Yes, I found my spiritual home that day
it has done what a home is supposed to do -
. it has allowed me to survive the fire, so that I can rise out of
the ashes.
Although he embers are still burning,
we are rebuilding the puzzle of our lives.
I am discovering parts of myself that have been dormant
.squelched by the demands of years of simply surviving.
Because you, as a community, have shared my many losses
.. I want to share my joy with you now
.. my feeling that I am rising out of the ashes
.. that things are getting better
Thank you so much for carrying me, and for being part of both. |
|
