Checking in on our friends

Hey friend. How are you doing? Not your kids. Not your job. You! 

What is your brain telling you these days?

How fast (or slow) is your heart beating?

Are you breathing? Drinking water? Taking your meds? Getting outside?

The past few months have been high stress for me for many reasons (besides the obvious!) and most often it is the basics that I forget. Did I drink more coffee than water? When was the last time I breathed outside air? How did the bag of chips empty so fast?

These are really big days with really huge problems. And in the face of (waves hands in the air) these little things can seem pretty extraneous. People in Gaza are starving and you are asking me about junk food? Fair. 

I have never seen a time like this, where I am so afraid for the safety of my friends and, weirdly, my country’s sovereignty. Didn’t Canada win the War of 1812? These are times when sacrifices will be demanded. We will each, in our own circles, be raising our hands and our voices. Maybe it will be in a statewide demonstration, or at the table with our parents. 

When such big actions are required of us, it can be easy to dismiss the small things. It’s like sending children away from the adult table because we can’t imagine they would have anything important to contribute. And, yet, sometimes they have the most wisdom for us. These little things sustain us.

My tendency when planning an action is to go up. How high can my impact go? It’s great for strategising but not so great for maintaining relationships, which is what we all desperately need right now. I’m noticing that the smallest gestures are moving me these days. One friend just sends a heart emoji every few days to tell me they are thinking of me. Today, I emailed my trans friends just to say hey. I see you. I love you. 

Can we do that? Can we agree that checking in on our loved ones and reminding them we love them can be enough? Who knows? It might be just the boost someone needs to do something more. 

Do you need a check-in? At Harbor brunch we always take time to check in with each other. You can also just set a time on the pastors’ calendars (Dawn, Dottie, Jon). No need to contact us first, just click the link and grab a time. If you are not in our private Circle community, now is a great time to join. Just contact us and we will send you an invitation. 

Let’s stay close to each other without expecting big gestures. There will be a time for that. For now, we need the small, loving gestures that, put together, sustain us. 

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Anchors in unsettling times

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We will never stop talking about DEI