Just two nights ago, my wife and I attended a large outdoors “Pumpkin Extravaganza,” A themed event in in a nearby city in which schoolchildren, and accomplished artists created exquisite art displayed on pumpkins alongside installations of other Halloween focused displays. As wonderful as the presentations were, what I equally enjoyed was being among throngs of people out-of-doors, at night with a full moon overhead. It has been at least twenty months or more of intentionally not being among crowds of people of any size due to Covid, and I found myself at times awash in the joy of just being among other people, taking in the works of creative people, listening and watching children, parents and grandparents taking it all in with equal measure.

I used to write handwritten notes to my youthful clients all the time before I retired. They loved getting regular mail all decorated with stickers, etc.! I miss that part of my job, still, six years later.

To be honest, I write zero paper-mailed notes and letters today. I text and email everything that I send to people, and they do the same to me.

But I will say this. Words still matter, and words written with care, love, and respect for the recipient are every bit as important, and impactful, as what used to come via “snail mail.” So, I’m not buying the notion that the best of what gets written should arrive the old fashioned way. It’s fine for those who continue to send paper mail…and God bless them for continuing…I have enthusiastic respect for this approach, but I don’t see myself sitting down with pen in hand to write a handwritten letter anytime soon.

At 4.10 AM, my day is just beginning. So, I’ll say that as a daily practice for myself, I make it a point to always (try!) to focus on the good and positive in the people that I meet in the course of my day. There’s enough ugliness and evil in the world already without me looking for it.

Some forty years ago I was checking on a Quaker meetinghouse in a nearby city at four in the morning. Stepping mindlessly out of my car and walking across the darkened parking lot I accidently walked right into two very large and very drunk men who had obviously been drinking throughout the night. One man, the smaller of the two, gestured to his intoxicated buddy, “Pop him, George! Take’m out!” In a fraction of a second I realized that I was about to be struck by huge drunk guy in a darkened corner behind the meetinghouse. Not sure where this came from, but I stuck out my right hand in a gesture of friendship and said, “Good morning.” The larger man, who was about to punch me, paused, his facial features changing from anger to amusement, softened his arm and fist, and instead of striking me or shaking my hand, he gently fist-bumped the top of my still outstretched hand saying, “Hey!” and began walking away with his drunk buddy in tow.

Hello Mary Pat, I am not sure where you are located in terms of nearness to water, be it rivers, lakes or oceans, but rowing clubs are located all over the world. And there’s different kinds of clubs rowing all kinds of different styles of boats depending on the types of water and sizes of the boats. We row whaleboats, which are 28 feet long, six foot beam, with five rowers and one boat steerer(coxswain). There are teams combined of men and women (like ours) or gender specific, oftentimes within the same overall club. Some crews enter a lot of races while never do. (We do several races a year but our favorite one we do every year in February is called the “Snow Row,” in which 75-100 boats of all types compete in February (and yes, we’re in New England, and it’s on the ocean in open water!)

There’s just nothing like being out on the water to see the sun rise, or set, and to be out there with a crew enjoying the exercise, fresh air and mutual camaraderie. I hope that you find a chance to explore rowing further!

Thank you, Mary Pat. I remain grateful always that this place is here for us to share what is close to our hearts. But you know, I have long felt that it’s the “ministry of the moment,” in the quietest and unspoken of ways, that is the most meaningful of all. That’s always been my guiding “north star,” at least, more so than programs and presentations, etc.

But you are so right, too. I founded and ran a weekend retreat program for Quaker children for twenty-six years before retiring from that program in 2013. (And from my other professional work in 2015) Today, I continue to “staff” on these retreats, with new leadership that I trained over the years, who is doing a great job, too. And I have intentionally stepped back from putting myself out there in that same arena, preferring to focus on new horizons. The part that stings the most is that I didn’t go asking to be included in an upcoming presentation….some sought me out many months ago and I responded in the affirmative. But I know too that I speak my mind and truth within my wider faith community, and I have asked questions that some within our wider leadership might prefer not to answer. So this too, I’m guessing, is a part of the puzzle as well. Or, as you say, we “older ones,”, we know where the bodies are buried!”