did I ever tell you I am an aunt?

Well, not really. But yes. I mean she calls me Aunt Air. (The "b" sound seems to be hard for kids.) Cali Noel is my cute niece. There is a long story there, but we are going to move on.  Okay, the short. She is not my brother's.  She is Missy's, my sister who is not really my sister.  I seem to have lots of these relationships.  Good thing!  I like being adopted (figuretively). And my family seems to like to adopt people, too (figuretively).  I think complex family systems make life more interesting. Maybe.  These relationships are even better when you feel estranged from your own (extended) family.

Back to Cali.  Please take time to experience her cuteness and thoughtfulness in the below picture. I saw Cali in July, and then it was three months before I got to hold her again. And what a three months. She went from barely walking to running.  She went from holding on to her momma to social butterfly. And the best, she went from incoherent rambler to perfectly eloquent. What a great conversationalist. The great thing about kids, especially toddlers, they remind you of the little things.  

They describe ordinary objects with keen detail.  They observe what you have forgotten. And guess what?  They will remind you!  They point. They share. They talk. They conversate. They require your attention. And I am willing to give it! I am willing to be reminded. I am willing to rediscover the beautiful, complex, and ordinary of daily living.  Cali helps me regain a memory that was long forgotten in the (many) days of stress, studying, ranting, and self-centeredness. 

Thanks, Cali. Thanks for being part of my family. Thanks for talking with me. Thanks for helping me celebrate life.  

I am one lucky aunt.

Joy upon joy,

Aunt BEAT

sustaining conversations

Last night I attended VDS' Sustainability Dinner.  All the food was local (veggies, cheese, bread, wine, and beer).  It was lovely.  Of course the food was good.  No questions there.  The beer even better. 

Because it was at my good friend Jessica's house, I stuck around to clean (just a little), conversate, and take time to just be before the rush of semester's end.  There are only two weeks of classes left before exams (a week break for Thanksgiving in the middle of the madness).  

Though the dinner was focused on sustainability (something we must talk about more in our daily interactions), the conversations after most had left were the real sustaining elements. Let's be honest, most of us were (United) Methodists.  For those two individuals who were not, I apologize for how easily the conversation turned to denominational speak.  The genuine moments of beer in one hand, probably a ginger snap in the other, a smile on my face, and a keen ear are what will sustain be over the next four weeks.  We covered the spectrum: England, prop h8te, marriage, roommates, school, flees, food, church, and even ordination.  Surely I'm forgetting a few. 

Sustaining conversations give you hope.  Rare dialogues that open you to the possibility of change.  Your inner core is stretched and challenged.  I bet you laugh. Lots.  If you allow yourself to be vulnerable, a relationship is fostered in those discussions. Whether between one other or a group, new dimensions of friendship are discovered.  Fuel gets put in the tank.  Seeds are planted.  You come out a little better.  And in the midst, you may just help others be sustained.  

So thanks to those who stuck around, made me laugh, listened to my ongoing rants, and pushed me to think beyond.  Many thanks. 

Grace upon grace,

BEAT