One of the unspoken tenets of our faith tradition is the acceptance of both/and over either/or. Things can be both one thing and another thing. They aren’t necessarily either this or that. The other day, a person shared a meme on Facebook that I needed to see. I thought you might need it as well. It read:

THINGS THAT CAN BE EQUALLY TRUE:
You are resilient.                 and         You need a break.
You are independent.          and         You still need others.
You were sure.                    and         Things changed.
You are kind.                       and         You have boundaries.
Others have it worse.          and         Your pain is valid.

To this list I would add these:

            You are vaccinated.             and        You still need to take precautions.
You want this to be over.     and        You are anxious about returning to normal.
You miss seeing people.     and        Crowds make you nervous now.

You probably have some both/and statements you could add to the list, too. It’s ok to have conflicting ideas and feelings at the same time. The world is a complex place with lots of both/ands. Be kind to yourself and others. Push yourself and stay safe. Let’s work to return things to normal and let’s make the new normal even better. Both/and.

Minister’s Chapter Workshop/Retreat 4/14-16

I will be attending, via Zoom, the St. Lawrence UU Ministers’ Association chapter retreat next Wednesday – Friday. I will still be hosting lunch via Zoom on Wednesday at noon for folks who want to chat and socialize. But that evening and the next two days, I’ll be in Zoom gatherings with colleagues most of the time. If you have an emergency and need me, please call or text. Thank you.

Cooperatively yours,

Rev. Craig