Visiting

The picture is of my friend and I at her house on maui.



On my journey this year I have stayed with friends along the way. The shortest time was one night; the longest was my time with my sister in New Jersey. I was there for three months. Staying with friends has taught me so much about me. I have also learned a lot about the many ways people go about living.

Everyone I visited has their own way of folding towels or loading the dishwasher or driving the car. Each visit was like being Margaret Mead in a new culture and society. I had the chance to observe how different people went about their lives. One friend always loads the dishwasher from back to front, another has a special way the plates go in and still others don’t use the machine at all – they hand wash and then sanitize them in the washer. Everyone ‘taught’ me how to do the dishes at their house. Their way of doing it was the way – they didn’t insist – it was just their preferences. I was happy to do the chores however they wanting since they were all so gracious to let me stay.

I started to think about how I do things when I am in my own home. Is there a particular way I load the dishwasher – do I think it is the ‘right’ way? I am told the dishwasher loading preferences can create many an argument between spouses and that someone studied how many ways there were to load the dishes – there were thousands! Still the way each one of us goes about our chores is Our Way and if we do not interact with many others around those same chores, they become THE way to do them.

This year is teaching me that I do not have to hold on so tight to the way something get done. Preferences are great but they are just that – preferences. There are no rules about so many things in life. There are so many choices of how life can work and I find that my identity is less and less connected to the way I DO things as it is connected to the way I AM with things. I have grown so much more flexible this year – I hope the habit will be so set that it carries me through whatever comes next.

For now I will continue to learn about myself through the gracious gift of friends and new acquaintances, which teach me. Thank you to all of you who have housed and feed me. You are a blessing in my life!

Homeless is Seattle

The month of September has found me in Seattle until the 25th. I have been house sitting for friends and staying with others. The weather has been sunny part of the time and cloudy with rain at other times.

I have seen people who are glad to see me home…..but am I? Part of me wonders why they welcome me home- haven’t I been here all along? I feel in part like I had a dream that I traveled the US and spent the summer back east but when someone says, “Welcome Home” my mind realizes that it wasn’t a dream at all – I really have been away.

My house is rented and I have gone by to do some yard work. Part of me feels like I never left and another part is so disoriented. I try to remember to drive to the place I am staying but find the car driving to my home only to realize that it isn’t my house right now.

I have been able to act like a tourist in my own city and visit with folks leisurely. It has been good but I watch out that I don’t get too connected because I am leaving again so soon.

I have read about sabbaticals while in Seattle. The Bible speaks about not working for a year, every seven years. The people trusted that God will provide a bumper crop in the sixth year to cover what will be needed when the sabbatical years comes. Taking a year off is a way to dedicate oneself to God for a year. There is a faith that we will be provided and cared for. This is my journey this year: to dedicate myself to discover and grow my connection with God and build my faith and trust that I will be cared for.


Tuesday, September 25th I leave for Maui. I am house sitting for a good friend for almost three weeks. Living on a tropical island has been on my list of things to do in my lifetime so now I will get a chance. My friend lives far away from the resorts so I will get to experience real island living. Then on October 14th I will go to the Big Island of Hawaii.

I am going to work at Kalani Oceanside Retreat as a volunteer. The conference retreat center operates with volunteers who work and live at the center for three months. I will work in the kitchen four days a week and then spend time doing yoga, swimming, reading and creating a new dream for my life. It is exciting and a bit scary – living in a community will be new for me, cell phones don’t work well and there is no TV!

I am not taking the Peeps with me. It is too humid and wet on the island. I will have my stuffed Peep (see above).

I hope you like my new look. Every few years I cut my hair. This time it was to make it easy to be in the sun and water. I will keep up the blog while I am away (I will have internet at the retreat center).

Write to say hi- send prayers and good wishes – I will be doing the same for you. Aloha!