Went to see the new movie "Love Happens" over the weekend. Enjoyed it, laughed. And learned. Realized in my marriage of strained communication, I never enjoyed the protection, love, and acceptance by my beloved during the immediate grief phase right after my middle sister's death. While so many friends and family members did reach out to me, my home was emotionally hostile. I'll never get that time back. I'll never get to know how I might have remembered and appreciated the middle sister I'd had if I had had a place of welcome to come home to.

Crying over spilt milk? Or just an appreciation of why my choice for changes are necessary?

Today: A pondering about how people of faith can be firm in their own beliefs and still welcoming of the stranger. Old patterns may not work, new patterns for community yet to be discovered.

A sense of pleasure at the work being done by the ELCA. Maybe not far enough, not fast enough for some, but gratifying to watch the work and the struggle.

Blessings on you, thank you for visiting. -Otter