These past two group weeks were a little rough - I was learning home repair skills while simultaneously trying to teach volunteers, and there was a volunteer who said unkind things that I could not answer. But I was also reminded of the love and support of my fellow Caretakers, and the peace of prayer, and the joy of community. So here follow some rambling thoughts on relationships, community, and trying to figure out what's important.
...Sharing
sorrow and fear is part of forming a real relationship, beyond the
superficial. Being open to another person means giving them the chance
to hurt you as well as love you. It's not easy, not easy at all. As far as I know, being
honest about the good and the bad, and trusting the other's
honesty, and speaking always with love, is the only way to make it work.
(And I say that as a person who has a hard time understanding what I
feel, much less expressing it.)
I can't expect you to never let me down, and you can't expect that of
me, either, because...we're human. Only God's love is perfect, and we're
not God, and we can't set each other up in place of God. But if I know you, and I trust you, and vice versa - then we don't need to be perfect.
So if relationships (of any kind, not just the romantic) may be said to have goals, they would be: I want
to be able to trust you, and you me. I think that might just be the
whole point of "dating", too - to answer the question, "Can I trust you?". It
sounds simple, but really it encompasses...well, everything.
March 18, 2012
March 14, 2012
Wednesday Gratitude Journal
Daffodils and crocuses blooming all joyful.
Long car rides for long talks.
Putting on a new roof, start to finish.
Good earth under the fingernails.
Baby with sunglasses on.
Long car rides for long talks.
Putting on a new roof, start to finish.
Good earth under the fingernails.
Baby with sunglasses on.
March 7, 2012
Wednesday Gratitude Journal
Limbs whole and strong to do work.
Birdsong heralding spring.
A neighbor's help.
Hugs and dinner waiting after a day out working.
Conversation bubbling and flowing over piles of newsletters to fold and tuck.
Birdsong heralding spring.
A neighbor's help.
Hugs and dinner waiting after a day out working.
Conversation bubbling and flowing over piles of newsletters to fold and tuck.
March 4, 2012
Quote Journal (and Book Review)
From When America Became Suburban, by Robert A. Beauregard:
"An ideal citizenship, of course, has a strong, moral core. It is not simply an exchange - rights for obligations - but a commitment on the part of citizens to the cultural diversity, human celebrations and sufferings, and the continued integrity of the city itself. It is a commitment to a public realm and common concerns and to a life that transcends the daily pressures of work and survival."
"For Americans, history is the past, and the past is that which has been discarded. The history of the country is a record of what has been achieved and thus of places and institutions that have served their purpose and are now no longer needed...One can hardly expect more from 'a culture of consumption and obsolescence.'"
"What if Americans were to consider their history as a record of what had to have been accomplished for the present to be possible?"
--
When America Became Suburban was a bit tough to slog through initially (lots of statistics and graphs), but overall I found it a very interesting read. The author shows the interconnections between the post-WWII phenomena of the decline of U.S. industrial cities, mass suburbanization, domestic prosperity, and global dominance, and the effects thereof on the country's national identity. As my knowledge of American history post-WWII is rather spotty - we only got to 1960 in AP US History in high school, though I did take a class on "Asian Wars of the 20th Century" in college - this book helps a lot in mapping that terrain and showing how modern American culture/identity has developed.
"An ideal citizenship, of course, has a strong, moral core. It is not simply an exchange - rights for obligations - but a commitment on the part of citizens to the cultural diversity, human celebrations and sufferings, and the continued integrity of the city itself. It is a commitment to a public realm and common concerns and to a life that transcends the daily pressures of work and survival."
"For Americans, history is the past, and the past is that which has been discarded. The history of the country is a record of what has been achieved and thus of places and institutions that have served their purpose and are now no longer needed...One can hardly expect more from 'a culture of consumption and obsolescence.'"
"What if Americans were to consider their history as a record of what had to have been accomplished for the present to be possible?"
--
When America Became Suburban was a bit tough to slog through initially (lots of statistics and graphs), but overall I found it a very interesting read. The author shows the interconnections between the post-WWII phenomena of the decline of U.S. industrial cities, mass suburbanization, domestic prosperity, and global dominance, and the effects thereof on the country's national identity. As my knowledge of American history post-WWII is rather spotty - we only got to 1960 in AP US History in high school, though I did take a class on "Asian Wars of the 20th Century" in college - this book helps a lot in mapping that terrain and showing how modern American culture/identity has developed.
February 29, 2012
Wednesday Gratitude Journal
Nostalgic piano music.
Fresh smell of the world after rain.
Clouds moving through trees in tufts of mist.
Downpour of rain on a snug roof.
Stories that draw shrieks of laughter.
Simple joy of cake, coffee, and company.
Fresh smell of the world after rain.
Clouds moving through trees in tufts of mist.
Downpour of rain on a snug roof.
Stories that draw shrieks of laughter.
Simple joy of cake, coffee, and company.
February 22, 2012
Wednesday Gratitude Journal
Musical sound of water pouring into a glass.
An unexpected long-distance call from a friend.
Candles lighting up the stairs at night.
Winter wonderland of snow-draped trees.
Happy endings/beginnings.
Long drives with a companion.
Patience in the face of one challenge after another.
Finding what you thought was stolen!
Homemade pizza and board games.
An unexpected long-distance call from a friend.
Candles lighting up the stairs at night.
Winter wonderland of snow-draped trees.
Happy endings/beginnings.
Long drives with a companion.
Patience in the face of one challenge after another.
Finding what you thought was stolen!
Homemade pizza and board games.
February 14, 2012
Wednesday Gratitude Journal
Sprouts rising up from the seedling trays while wind whips snow outside.
Two solitudes protecting and touching and greeting each other.
Fuzzy chicks sprawled asleep amid the wood shavings.
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