Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Yesterday’s news
“Friend, you are the only one standing where you stand, seeing what you see, with your vantage point, your story. You are right here for a reason: to have, as my dear friend Ruby Sales says, ‘hindsight, insight and foresight.’” Reverend Doctor Jacqui Lewis.
This gem started my day yesterday. Before the day was through I had met friends for breakfast, been to a great AlAnon meeting, been to a church board meeting, resigned from the board, watched a delightful movie, (Matilda, The Musical), and laughed out loud at a grandson’s latest clever move. It was an eventful, tiring day.
For most of my life I have tried to finish any commitment that I have taken on. That’s why resigning from my church board was a well thought out decision, buoyed by many prayers about what exactly is mine to do for my church. I have several reasons for resigning before my term ended, but the one that matters is that it was an action in line with my decision to practice self-care. Doing this may open opportunities to put my energy behind other activities at the church.
Some decisions simply have to be made on their own merits. As I look back on other big moves I’ve made I realize that many of them were necessary for my peace of mind and soul. I also know very well that these decisions often have effects that require movement on the part of the other people affected by my actions. Probably the most impactful was when I decided to get a divorce. Ted and Jackie were barely 2 and 5 at the time. That changed the trajectory of all our lives. Believe me when I say that I have spent hours in painful reflection of the consequences of dissolving the bonds of marriage.
On Tuesday I had my monthly session with my Spiritual Director. Much of the hour was spent on talking over what I could do to be spiritually aligned with my belief about needing to leave the board. She had some wise advice about the best way to resign and we talked about the words that I would use. In the end I was to stay true to what I believe to be right. When I left the session I was entirely comfortable with my next steps.
Watching the movie after dinner was a great way to distract me from worrying about whether or not I had said the right things as I handed in my resignation letter. “Matilda” is a quirky, sweet movie about the power of imagination and the beauty of camaraderie. It is a children’s movie with several adult themes about the consequences of a huge imbalance of power and the power of persistence. Addressing Right and Wrong and defending Right in order to achieve justice are the bones of the movie. Since my daughter had recommended the movie I texted her that I thought it was really well done. She said she had watched it with Cameron. His response at the end was to say he felt like he could cry, but it would be a happy cry.
That brings me to the perfect ending of a rough day. Jackie texted Cameron’s latest funniness. Apparently today is the Scholastic book sale at his school. Since his parents had funded his first go round, Jackie told Cameron that he would have to use his stash of birthday dollars and Tooth Fairy money. He promptly opened the piggy bank to start counting. He remembers how much money the Tooth Fairy leaves so he counted those dollars. He didn’t leave it at that – he started counting his remaining teeth to check how much more income he could expect from the TF down the road. Clever boy.
It’s good to go to bed on a happy note.