Seeking Authentic Voice

The first time I met my mother in law was Easter Day at a family gathering. Dan and I were engaged and planning our wedding, but at the age of 28 we had skipped a lot of formalities such as meeting each others extended family, even though we had known each other for two years. We met at Eddie Bauer and were co-workers, then friends, before starting to date. Once we starting dating our relationship progressed quickly to an engagement. There really hadn't been tome to meet family. However, in the years before we met, my husband to be had gone though a rough patch and his family was protective of him. So, this family gathering, and first time meeting, held layers of emotion for everyone. I was fairly positive I'd like all of them, but not at all certain what they would think of me, engaged to their son, brother, uncle, before they'd even met me. I knew my mother in law-to- be had called my mother to inquire her opinion of this engagement and pending marriage. A protective mam...

A reflection on the readings for Proper 17A:Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21. Matthew 16:21-28 I remember sitting on the counter in my grandmother’s kitchen, talking to my mother on the telephone. Outside the window it was a glorious sunny day, light bouncing off the rock bluffs, scrub trees and pine which define the beautiful mountains that surround the Salt Lake City Valley. I have no idea what my mom and I were talking about, just the usual topics for a five year old and her mom. Suddenly everything began to tremble. My grandmother had decorative soup ladles and dishes hanging on her kitchen walls and I watched them swing back and forth before they crashed to the floor. Perhaps a minute or two passed as the earth shook and things clattered. As far as I know this earthquake in Salt Lake City didn’t cause any wide spread damage, I’m not even sure it was strong enough to be news worthy, but it left an impression on me. Years later I am the mother of a teen age daughter whose high sch...

Sally, over at RevGals offers this Friday Five, wondering what we do on a rainy day: 1. At home? Sit in a room where I can watch the rain, read, listen to music, drink coffee or tea. Essentially enjoy and rest. 2. In your local area? I often think it would be fun to sit in a coffee shop and read, but in reality I find them noisy with people talking too loudly to one another or on their cell phones. So, if I really have to get out on a rainy day I may go to a movie or the library. 3. If you are away on holiday? If I am in my one of my dad's house in Utah (Escalante, southern Utah near Bryce Canon or Hanna in northeast Utah in the Uinta Mts), I prefer it not rain while on vacation. Although I did once have a lovely vacation on the Pacific shore of south western Washington state, where it rained most of the time, but made for delightful beach walks when it wasn't rainy. We read, worked on a jig saw puzzle, and took a drive down the coast to Cannon Beach, Oregon (it was sun...

We've rounded the bend, so to speak. Although we may have more hot and humid days, the worst is over, at least in southeast Michigan. I do worry about our climate, about global warming, for it seems we seldom have a day of rain. Instead we have severe storms blow through with high winds, causing much damage to trees and homes. These storms carry buckets of rain which in a short amount of time flood basements, window wells, and streets. Then there's the high temperatures and drought in the south and southwest....I can only imagine what winter holds in store... But on this morning, I am resting. Appreciating the bright sun and cooler temperatures, there's a chill in the air, hinting of autumn. Stirring memory senses of fresh crisp apples, and leaves changes color, of sweaters and jeans, and clogs, and homemade socks. I'm listening to Mozart, enjoying some coffee, and reading Mary Oliver: "Mozart, for example" All the quick notes Mozart didn’t have time to use be...

A reflection on the readings for Proper 16A, Exodus 1:8-2:10 During my vacation I read a number of books. One of them, Caleb's Crossing, was written by a Geraldine Brooks, a favorite author of mine. It tells the story of the first Native American to attend Harvard University in the 1600's. Brooks, a former corespondent for the Wall Street Journal covering the war in Bosnia, Somalia, and the Middle East, is now a Pulitzer prize winning novelist. Her books deal with struggles in society between the dominant culture and those marginalized by society and seen as threatening. My favorite book is called. "People of the Book." in it she tells the story inspired by the Sarajevo Haggadah. An Haggadah is a book used by the Jewish people at their Seder Passover meal to tell the sacred story of Exodus from Egypt. I've attended several Seders and even a couple of delightful women's Seders created my rabbi friend Lisa and the female cantor at the synagogue in Illinois...

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Yesterday my husband I celebrated our twenty sixth wedding anniversary. Traditionally on our anniversary we go to a movie and then later dinner in a nice restaurant. Tentatively we had planned to see The Help, but I changed my mind, in part because of the various perspectives critical of the movie. It's given me a lot to think about, but issues around "-isms" always do. Anyway, instead of a movie we went out to lunch, to the local Panera Cares. This is one of a couple of Panera's around the country that uses day-old food from other nearby Panera's, with only a suggested donation, for the coat. The intent is that those who can't afford to pay full price can pay what they are able while others may pay more (like we did) than the retail price. The food is always good, and the place was busy! Afterward ww walked our dogs, one of our favorite activities. We decided to stay home for dinner, mostly because we haven't found a favorite restaurant, yet. Usually we f...