Celebration

Today was our going away celebration at church. We had an opportunity to share our story and update people on our progress and to accept people’s good wishes and blessings. In fact, my friend, Karen, whose website is listed in our links list on the side of this blog, wrote us a beautiful blessing that we will carry with us as we travel. And we had a potluck with excellent food and a chance for good conversation with (F)friends. It was a bittersweet experience because although we will be there for one more Sunday next week, some people will not be there. So today was the last day for some things. Though we will see some of these people again, the context will be different. For me, it was a reminder that this is really happening. We really are leaving. It hardly seems possible that after everything we have been through in the past five years, it really is coming to an end. It reminds me of the lines from the T.S.Eliot poem that go something like, “to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” That is what this is--both an end and a beginning. I am excited for the beginning, since I have waited so long for it. But I am also--surprisingly--sad about the end because I will miss many people here. I will be in touch via email, of course, but I will miss seeing them on Sundays, spending time over a leisurely lunch or cup of tea and having interesting conversations, and just spending time together. It won’t be the same. But I am glad to have had this time with these people and knowing them will enrich my life whether I am here or not.