The very first time I encountered someone who shared my name I was upset. I was in the first grade and had never met another Rachel, so I guess it had just never dawned on me that it was possible for more than one person to have the same first name. My kindergarten teacher was named Rachelle, but that was a different name in my mind. I'm not sure why it bugged me, but it did. (She and I became best friends that year and are still in touch to this day, by the way).
Fast forward several years to an incredible opportunity where I got to attend a church youth camp in Tahiti. On that trip I met another Rachel, only this time there was no annoyance over the shared name. We like each other immediately and within a day, other campers were referring to us as "Rachel Squared". After the camp, Rachel and I kept in touch for awhile but then drifted, as often happens.
Fast forward several years to my parents informing me that we had houseguests for the week. A new missionary was moving to Detroit and would be staying with us along with his fiance' while they searched for a place to live. Imagine my surprise when I walked in to introduce myself and came face to face with my square! It was wonderful to reconnect, and we grew to be friends as couples as well. My (then boyfriend) and I atteneded their wedding, and they attended ours. Rachel recently moved back to Florida with her family, which made me sad because she had become a part of my circle of friends, and our husbands had grown close as well. I miss having them over and watching their son grow up.
Rachel is an incredible leader. She has a passion for Christ and is a true missionary, but she is also unshakable. She ministered side by side with her husband in urban Detroit, she dealt with rowdy college kids, and I have witnessed her leadership in many capacities, including motherhood. She has a calming effect on me, something I try to recall when I am feeling stressed out and under qualified. Her strength and confidence are an incredible example to me. I miss my square, a little more because we're not so great at keeping in touch, so I hope my letter brings a smile to her face, and that I hear something back from her. Even just a hello would brighten my day :o)
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Letter #101 - Dave
I grew up with a very interesting life. The child of educators, ministers, and a natural hostess... my life has always been full of people. Making new friends, greeting old friends, hosting families and strangers, being hosted by families and strangers... it's no wonder I don't do well with too much alone time! :o)
When I was four years old, my father became an appointee, which is our church's term for clergy, or full-time minister. during his 10 month training process, he became friends with his fellow classmates, and all of our families developed a bond that I draw on to this day for strength and support.
Recently, I was reminded of a family vactation where a number of these families rented a place and spent a few days together out in the woods. I was pretty young, and have relatively few memories of the time there, but I can vividly remember the emotions. The feeling that I was completely safe with all of these people, and that they all loved me.
Dave was one of the guys on the vacation. He and his family goofed off with us and hiked through the woods with us and told stories and laughed with us. Dave has a great laugh. Even as he has gotten older and become more serious (in part, a product of his latest position in our church), his laughter is something I treasure. I wrote Dave mostly just to say hi, and to share the memory of that trip with him. I hope it brings a smile to his face as he recalls some of the shennanigans that took place that weekend... including the "ceremonial offering" presented to my family in my dad & brother's burned out sneakers...
I may not keep in close touch with Dave, or any of the other people in those families... but we all went through a very intense family experience together, and that has created friendships that have outlasted many things in my life. These people also provide me with a strength I find I can access just by recalling those times we were all sharing space, and sharing love and laughter. I will always be an appointee kid, and that makes me a part of a very special family.
When I was four years old, my father became an appointee, which is our church's term for clergy, or full-time minister. during his 10 month training process, he became friends with his fellow classmates, and all of our families developed a bond that I draw on to this day for strength and support.
Recently, I was reminded of a family vactation where a number of these families rented a place and spent a few days together out in the woods. I was pretty young, and have relatively few memories of the time there, but I can vividly remember the emotions. The feeling that I was completely safe with all of these people, and that they all loved me.
Dave was one of the guys on the vacation. He and his family goofed off with us and hiked through the woods with us and told stories and laughed with us. Dave has a great laugh. Even as he has gotten older and become more serious (in part, a product of his latest position in our church), his laughter is something I treasure. I wrote Dave mostly just to say hi, and to share the memory of that trip with him. I hope it brings a smile to his face as he recalls some of the shennanigans that took place that weekend... including the "ceremonial offering" presented to my family in my dad & brother's burned out sneakers...
I may not keep in close touch with Dave, or any of the other people in those families... but we all went through a very intense family experience together, and that has created friendships that have outlasted many things in my life. These people also provide me with a strength I find I can access just by recalling those times we were all sharing space, and sharing love and laughter. I will always be an appointee kid, and that makes me a part of a very special family.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Letter #92 - Jim
I am a photographer. I haven't formally studied photography, but I have had the great privilege of having some fantastic mentors in my life who taught me a lot, and who encouraged me on my journey, and critiqued my work. About 5 years ago I decided to launch my own photography business, as a side job. The intent was always to make a little extra money doing something I love, but not committing to it full-time. Photography is a creative outlet for me, and if I'm relying on it solely for my income then it becomes more of a job, and I don't love it as much. I didn't want to force myself to fall out-of-love with my passion, so I've never pursued it full time. Even since I've been laid off I have amped up my efforts, but am still seeking full time employment that isn't photography.
Jim was one of my photo-mentors. I met Jim by accident, because he happened to have arrived early at a worship service, and I was standing at the podium with my father, hyperventilating and sobbing my heart out. I had agreed to say a prayer at the opening service of our church's world conference, and was the opening prayer before our President-Prophet preached. There were about 5000 people in attendance, plus it was being broadcasted on many of the local tv networks, and world wide on a live streaming webcast. The reality of what I had agreed to do had just sunk in, and my poor dad was trying to get me as settled as he could before the service began. I was freaking out. Jim witnessed all of this (unbeknownst to me). When the service began and I settled in my seat (alone on the rostrum with the top 3 leaders of our church at the time... no added pressure!) - I discovered that when they tell you the lights will be so bright you won't hardly see anyone, they're lying. I felt my heart catch in my throat again, and tried to look down without looking as though I was looking down. That's when I saw Jim. He gave me the biggest smile and just nodded at me. The rest of the service, I just focused on him, and his smile never broke. He got me through the entire thing and I had never even met him before.
That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, and once he discovered that I had a budding interest in photography, he jumped on it and offered to critique some of my work. From then on, he would take me around church events as his assistant, until he eventually promoted me to staff photographer (a very exciting day!). He would invite me to come stay with him and his wife for a weekend to tour me around and take photos. He taught me how to use photoshop, and how to better frame a shot, and gave me tips on shooting portraits. He introduced me to his brother-in-law, another excellent photographer who also took me under his wing.
Whenever I hear from Jim I am always anxious to see what he has to say about my latest work, and eager to hear how life is treating him. He recently contacted me and asked if I would be willing to share a testimonial that he could put on his website, so I decided to send it to him long hand along with a letter.
I may not see Jim as much as I like, and I may not keep in touch as much as I used to, but he's with me every single time I pick up my camera, and I am forever grateful for that smile!
Jim was one of my photo-mentors. I met Jim by accident, because he happened to have arrived early at a worship service, and I was standing at the podium with my father, hyperventilating and sobbing my heart out. I had agreed to say a prayer at the opening service of our church's world conference, and was the opening prayer before our President-Prophet preached. There were about 5000 people in attendance, plus it was being broadcasted on many of the local tv networks, and world wide on a live streaming webcast. The reality of what I had agreed to do had just sunk in, and my poor dad was trying to get me as settled as he could before the service began. I was freaking out. Jim witnessed all of this (unbeknownst to me). When the service began and I settled in my seat (alone on the rostrum with the top 3 leaders of our church at the time... no added pressure!) - I discovered that when they tell you the lights will be so bright you won't hardly see anyone, they're lying. I felt my heart catch in my throat again, and tried to look down without looking as though I was looking down. That's when I saw Jim. He gave me the biggest smile and just nodded at me. The rest of the service, I just focused on him, and his smile never broke. He got me through the entire thing and I had never even met him before.
That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship, and once he discovered that I had a budding interest in photography, he jumped on it and offered to critique some of my work. From then on, he would take me around church events as his assistant, until he eventually promoted me to staff photographer (a very exciting day!). He would invite me to come stay with him and his wife for a weekend to tour me around and take photos. He taught me how to use photoshop, and how to better frame a shot, and gave me tips on shooting portraits. He introduced me to his brother-in-law, another excellent photographer who also took me under his wing.
Whenever I hear from Jim I am always anxious to see what he has to say about my latest work, and eager to hear how life is treating him. He recently contacted me and asked if I would be willing to share a testimonial that he could put on his website, so I decided to send it to him long hand along with a letter.
I may not see Jim as much as I like, and I may not keep in touch as much as I used to, but he's with me every single time I pick up my camera, and I am forever grateful for that smile!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Letter #88 - Jenn
I often find myself reflecting on where relationships I am in, or have had came from. How they developed into what they are now. Jenn is one of those friends that I can trace the timeline of our friendship, but I can't ever quite trace the way in which our friendship deepened the way it did. Jenn is one of those friends that just simply is, and I love her dearly for it. Jenn has been on my mind quite a bit lately as she has been a great source of support for me these last several months, so I decided to send her a letter to tell her how much I love her and how glad I am to have her as a friend.
Jenn and I technically met when we were both still in high school, as we attended the same Senior High Church Camp, but we didn't really hang with the same circles, and she was a few years ahead of me and headed off to college. Our lives crossed paths again a few years later when I myself started college and there was Jenn. We both attended Michigan State University and shared several years with her there. During that time we shared in worship, in meals, in travel and in many many craft nights, impromptu movie nights and late night dessert runs.
I was thrilled when she moved back to Michigan after completing her masters degree and working for several years out of state, and have greatly enjoyed the last year getting to see her more frequently and rekindle our friendship. I hope my letter gives her even the slightest indication of how much she means to me, because she's freaking amazing.
Jenn and I technically met when we were both still in high school, as we attended the same Senior High Church Camp, but we didn't really hang with the same circles, and she was a few years ahead of me and headed off to college. Our lives crossed paths again a few years later when I myself started college and there was Jenn. We both attended Michigan State University and shared several years with her there. During that time we shared in worship, in meals, in travel and in many many craft nights, impromptu movie nights and late night dessert runs.
I was thrilled when she moved back to Michigan after completing her masters degree and working for several years out of state, and have greatly enjoyed the last year getting to see her more frequently and rekindle our friendship. I hope my letter gives her even the slightest indication of how much she means to me, because she's freaking amazing.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Letter #85 - Travis
I LOVE the name Travis. In fact, if I have a son someday, it's pretty high up on my list of potential names. I have a cousin named Travis, and a good friend of the family named Travis. Today's letter went to the latter.
What's funny is I hit the period before the "r" and so a second ago that last sentence read "latte." it's funny because Travis is a manager at Starbucks. Ok so it's funny to me.
Moving on.
My father spent the majority of my life working as full time clergy for our church. Full time clergy in our church go by the title of "Appointee". As a result, I am what is dubbed an Appointee Kid. This life is as enriching as it can be frustrating. The blessings I've had from being an Appointee Kid (AK) include having lived all over the world, having met hundreds of interesting and wonderful people, having traveled the world and learned all kinds of cool cultures, and having created bonds with other Appointee Kids. Travis is also an AK. He's older than me, so we didn't grow up attending the same camps or church functions together, but our parents worked together and were very good friends (his father performed my wedding last year). As a result, Trav and I share a bond that is unique and very meaningful to me. While we've had our own ups and downs with that life, we can understand each other on a different level, even though we may not be BFFs. We also share an interesting take on church life and spirituality because of our upbringings being so close to the church. Most people would assume this means we are either goody two shoes, or complete rebels, but mostly we fall somewhere in the middle... with deep senses of personal spirituality and a deep appreciation for the culture and community of our church while still finding ourselves somewhat skeptical and frustrated with the politics and challenges that come with running any organisation. Appointee Kids tend to see a different side of the church than most people. We see the good, but we also see the dirty underbelly. We have to learn to maintain a delicate balance so that we can operate within the community of the church, but still separate the business and frustration from our spiritual selves so we can try and avoid becoming complete cynics. Most of us are reasonably successful at walking this line, and I think almost all of us waver from time to time on one side or the other of the line.
That's why maintaining our AK bonds are important, because we help support each other during the frustrating and wavering times. Travis and I will always have a special bond, and my letter to him was to reach out and remind him of that. Also to thank him for making time for my husband and I when we were in his neck of the woods a few weeks back. It was great to see him for awhile and to get to spend some time catching up and just shooting the breeze (and eating Mexican food lol)
Travis, you rock buddy. I love ya!
What's funny is I hit the period before the "r" and so a second ago that last sentence read "latte." it's funny because Travis is a manager at Starbucks. Ok so it's funny to me.
Moving on.
My father spent the majority of my life working as full time clergy for our church. Full time clergy in our church go by the title of "Appointee". As a result, I am what is dubbed an Appointee Kid. This life is as enriching as it can be frustrating. The blessings I've had from being an Appointee Kid (AK) include having lived all over the world, having met hundreds of interesting and wonderful people, having traveled the world and learned all kinds of cool cultures, and having created bonds with other Appointee Kids. Travis is also an AK. He's older than me, so we didn't grow up attending the same camps or church functions together, but our parents worked together and were very good friends (his father performed my wedding last year). As a result, Trav and I share a bond that is unique and very meaningful to me. While we've had our own ups and downs with that life, we can understand each other on a different level, even though we may not be BFFs. We also share an interesting take on church life and spirituality because of our upbringings being so close to the church. Most people would assume this means we are either goody two shoes, or complete rebels, but mostly we fall somewhere in the middle... with deep senses of personal spirituality and a deep appreciation for the culture and community of our church while still finding ourselves somewhat skeptical and frustrated with the politics and challenges that come with running any organisation. Appointee Kids tend to see a different side of the church than most people. We see the good, but we also see the dirty underbelly. We have to learn to maintain a delicate balance so that we can operate within the community of the church, but still separate the business and frustration from our spiritual selves so we can try and avoid becoming complete cynics. Most of us are reasonably successful at walking this line, and I think almost all of us waver from time to time on one side or the other of the line.
That's why maintaining our AK bonds are important, because we help support each other during the frustrating and wavering times. Travis and I will always have a special bond, and my letter to him was to reach out and remind him of that. Also to thank him for making time for my husband and I when we were in his neck of the woods a few weeks back. It was great to see him for awhile and to get to spend some time catching up and just shooting the breeze (and eating Mexican food lol)
Travis, you rock buddy. I love ya!
Letter #84 - Laura
This project takes my mind on interesting turns. I will occasionally make myself a little list of the next 5-10 letters I want to write, and I almost never end up writing exactly those letters to exactly those people in exactly that order. In fact, I often end up writing letters to completely different people... Laura is one such letter.
I don't know Laura very well. We attended some of the same church camps, but her brother is the one who is a huge part of my life. Laura lives in another state, she's married and has 3 kids, she shows up regularly in my Facebook news feed, and yet we don't know much else about each other, and we don't converse much other than the occasional Facebook comment. We do, however, share a need for saving as much money as we can. I had commented at some point about coupons, and she remarked that she collects baby related coupons from wherever she can get them. I don't have any babies yet, so when I go through my coupons I try to keep my eyes open for ones she may be able to use. I don't always remember her, but this week I did, and so along with the coupons I stuck in the mail for her I also attempted to write a letter that said a little more than "here ya go". I don't know if Laura and I will ever establish a relationship or friendship beyond where we are now, and that's ok either way, but it was a good exercise for me to write a letter to someone I know just a little. I hope the coupons help her out, and I hope my letter makes her feel good, even if it's just for a bit that day. She seems like a nice girl, and she deserves to have a reminder that someone is thinking of her now and then :o)
I don't know Laura very well. We attended some of the same church camps, but her brother is the one who is a huge part of my life. Laura lives in another state, she's married and has 3 kids, she shows up regularly in my Facebook news feed, and yet we don't know much else about each other, and we don't converse much other than the occasional Facebook comment. We do, however, share a need for saving as much money as we can. I had commented at some point about coupons, and she remarked that she collects baby related coupons from wherever she can get them. I don't have any babies yet, so when I go through my coupons I try to keep my eyes open for ones she may be able to use. I don't always remember her, but this week I did, and so along with the coupons I stuck in the mail for her I also attempted to write a letter that said a little more than "here ya go". I don't know if Laura and I will ever establish a relationship or friendship beyond where we are now, and that's ok either way, but it was a good exercise for me to write a letter to someone I know just a little. I hope the coupons help her out, and I hope my letter makes her feel good, even if it's just for a bit that day. She seems like a nice girl, and she deserves to have a reminder that someone is thinking of her now and then :o)
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Letter #63 - Don
My birth was a prophetic occasion. Most people can't say that. I can.
When my mum was pregnant with me, my folks had a visitor from the church staying with them. Uncle Don, as he became known to me, was in their home and told my mum she was pregnant. She was 100% convinced he was wrong. He told her he just knew these things even thought she insisted he was wrong and that she wasn't pregnant. He was right. 9 months later, there I was. Ever since then, he introduces me to people as the girl whose birth he foretold. It's pretty awesome.
Uncle Don drifts in and out of my life. We'll be very close and see each other with some regularity for several years, and then I will completely lose touch with him until 4-5 years down the road when life crosses our paths once again. And yet my love and admiration for him never lessen. He is incredibly funny and special to me, he provides profound ministries and hearty laughs. Definitely the kind of guy you want sitting at the dinner table, or in the back of your class.
Uncle Don wasn't able to attend our wedding last year, so I decided I needed to write him and at least send him a wedding photo, so he can continue to brag about his prophetic skills :o) It was nice to spend some time focusing on him and our relationship, and even if I don't hear anything back from him (not sure he's much of a writer) I feel really good about having reached out again and sending him some love. I hope next year I can make it to our church's world conference because that's always a place I know I'm going to run into him and get a big hug, and probably a free lunch :o)
When my mum was pregnant with me, my folks had a visitor from the church staying with them. Uncle Don, as he became known to me, was in their home and told my mum she was pregnant. She was 100% convinced he was wrong. He told her he just knew these things even thought she insisted he was wrong and that she wasn't pregnant. He was right. 9 months later, there I was. Ever since then, he introduces me to people as the girl whose birth he foretold. It's pretty awesome.
Uncle Don drifts in and out of my life. We'll be very close and see each other with some regularity for several years, and then I will completely lose touch with him until 4-5 years down the road when life crosses our paths once again. And yet my love and admiration for him never lessen. He is incredibly funny and special to me, he provides profound ministries and hearty laughs. Definitely the kind of guy you want sitting at the dinner table, or in the back of your class.
Uncle Don wasn't able to attend our wedding last year, so I decided I needed to write him and at least send him a wedding photo, so he can continue to brag about his prophetic skills :o) It was nice to spend some time focusing on him and our relationship, and even if I don't hear anything back from him (not sure he's much of a writer) I feel really good about having reached out again and sending him some love. I hope next year I can make it to our church's world conference because that's always a place I know I'm going to run into him and get a big hug, and probably a free lunch :o)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Letter #50 - Evan
When my family moved to the Detroit area, I was devastated. I was coming from an incredible experience living in Rotterdam, I missed Canada, and I was furious that my parents would dare uproot our family to come to a country that I didn't love (settle down all, it's grown on me). I sobbed the entire 8 hour plane ride from Amsterdam to Detroit... I think the flight attendants were debating whether or not to call in social services on the chance that maybe I was being abducted... when my dad told them I was 14, they gave him a knowing look and walked away. I was bound and determined to hate Michigan with a fiery passion, and had a plan to make my family pay for making me so miserable. Then I met Evan like a week after the plane landed. Damn him.
Evan quickly became one of my closest friends, and helped stave off some of my loneliness. He would email me, call, we'd hang out sometimes, and saw each other every week at church. He was my rock. I don't think he ever realised this. We stayed close through the next 3 years, including an incredible trip to Tahiti with a church group. I still can't watch anything with Sean Connery in it without missing him desperately. We were each others' prom dates, and then when he graduated high school he left me. We never had a romantic involvement with each other, though sometimes I wonder if we weren't crushing on each other at opposite times. When Evan moved to Arizona to start college I was sure he'd come back when he was finished with school. After all, his family was in Detroit, and so was I, and we were such good friends. He still lives in Arizona. His family moved away, and here I still am. He's been back to visit of course, and I've made it down there a couple of times as well to see him.
I don't think I think about how much I miss him normally. The fact that I'm tearing up a little just writing this speaks to that I guess. I miss laughing with him, I miss our shared sense of humour, our shared love for laser tag, our shared understanding of the joys and challenges of babysitting Brandon & Cameron... or Brett & Kelsy... or Tim. I just miss him. He gives great hugs, thoughtful gifts and even though it's tough to get him to be serious sometimes, I miss his insights on life and people.
Someday when I have an income again, I hope to take another trip to Arizona to spend some time with him. I hope he knows how much I love him, how much I miss him, and how much his friendship has meant to me over the years... even if I suck at telling him that most of the time.
Evan quickly became one of my closest friends, and helped stave off some of my loneliness. He would email me, call, we'd hang out sometimes, and saw each other every week at church. He was my rock. I don't think he ever realised this. We stayed close through the next 3 years, including an incredible trip to Tahiti with a church group. I still can't watch anything with Sean Connery in it without missing him desperately. We were each others' prom dates, and then when he graduated high school he left me. We never had a romantic involvement with each other, though sometimes I wonder if we weren't crushing on each other at opposite times. When Evan moved to Arizona to start college I was sure he'd come back when he was finished with school. After all, his family was in Detroit, and so was I, and we were such good friends. He still lives in Arizona. His family moved away, and here I still am. He's been back to visit of course, and I've made it down there a couple of times as well to see him.
I don't think I think about how much I miss him normally. The fact that I'm tearing up a little just writing this speaks to that I guess. I miss laughing with him, I miss our shared sense of humour, our shared love for laser tag, our shared understanding of the joys and challenges of babysitting Brandon & Cameron... or Brett & Kelsy... or Tim. I just miss him. He gives great hugs, thoughtful gifts and even though it's tough to get him to be serious sometimes, I miss his insights on life and people.
Someday when I have an income again, I hope to take another trip to Arizona to spend some time with him. I hope he knows how much I love him, how much I miss him, and how much his friendship has meant to me over the years... even if I suck at telling him that most of the time.
Letter #48 - Miranda
So either I've screwed up my numbering system, or I mailed a letter and forgot to blog it, because I actually have Miranda on my list as #49 but I can't find #48 listed anywhere. I'm also going to cheat on this one just a little because the letter isn't mailed yet. I have these two photos I want to include in it, and I can't print them yet because of some tech things that have been going on this week. The photos are on a hard drive I can't currently access so I have to wait. That being said, I'm still posting about Miranda and my letter to her.
Have you ever known someone in your life that could be described as your twin? Not necessarily looks-wise, but tastes, personalities, mannerisms, etc? I have had a bunch of friends I proclaimed were just like me, or I was just like them, or we were just like each other, etc... I was dead wrong. Miranda and I are the same person. It's creepy. Creepy to other people, creepy to us, creepy. Miranda and I were cabin-mates at camp one year, and then housemates in college, and we ended up going through a very weird, very creepy and yet kind of cool personality merge at one point. If ever "shining" existed, Miranda and I can do it. We can literally have entire conversation by exchanging about 5 words. It blows my mind. When I got engaged, the first person I thought of to ask to be our photographer was Miranda... she's the closest I could get to taking my own photos :o) She agreed, then got engaged herself. They ended up getting married the weekend after we did and she and I photographed each others' weddings, it was an awesome experience to be able to share our weddings with each other in that way... like a double wedding but without the shared spotlight :o)
Miranda and I don't typically keep in close contact, but she's been on my mind a lot these last few months and I decided she could use a note from me. Or I decided I could use sending her a note, whichever :o) Since we share a passion for photography I wanted to send her a couple shots I had taken on my winter zoo trip last month, and so now I impatiently wait to regain access to the drive where they are stored so I can do just that. As I wrote my letter to Miranda I just kept drifting back to my wedding day, and then to hers... going over all the images in my mind and how incredibly awesome it felt to know that I could completely trust she was capturing my day the way I wanted. I had a lot of bumps in the road the last month before our wedding and it was a blessing to have at least one thing that I knew couldn't possibly go wrong. (the second thing was knowing my husband would be waiting at the end of the aisle for me... no doubts there!)
Miranda has had a huge influence on the person I am (since we are each other, after all). There are personality traits she has that I have always greatly admired and strive to emulate in my own life more. One of the greatest things I treasure about our friendship is that whenever she is around I just feel at peace. I trust her implicitly, and because of that I rarely feel the need to stress when she's around. I can't think of hardly a single other person in my life who does that for me, it's awesome.
Our lives may have followed different paths, both in getting here and from here on out. We may have different outlooks on things, we may have different tastes, yet there is something fundamentally the same about us. I don't know if it's a wavelength, a soul thing, a weird telekinetic power or what, but when I think of Miranda I think of myself, and all the ways in which we hope to influence the world.
Have you ever known someone in your life that could be described as your twin? Not necessarily looks-wise, but tastes, personalities, mannerisms, etc? I have had a bunch of friends I proclaimed were just like me, or I was just like them, or we were just like each other, etc... I was dead wrong. Miranda and I are the same person. It's creepy. Creepy to other people, creepy to us, creepy. Miranda and I were cabin-mates at camp one year, and then housemates in college, and we ended up going through a very weird, very creepy and yet kind of cool personality merge at one point. If ever "shining" existed, Miranda and I can do it. We can literally have entire conversation by exchanging about 5 words. It blows my mind. When I got engaged, the first person I thought of to ask to be our photographer was Miranda... she's the closest I could get to taking my own photos :o) She agreed, then got engaged herself. They ended up getting married the weekend after we did and she and I photographed each others' weddings, it was an awesome experience to be able to share our weddings with each other in that way... like a double wedding but without the shared spotlight :o)
Miranda and I don't typically keep in close contact, but she's been on my mind a lot these last few months and I decided she could use a note from me. Or I decided I could use sending her a note, whichever :o) Since we share a passion for photography I wanted to send her a couple shots I had taken on my winter zoo trip last month, and so now I impatiently wait to regain access to the drive where they are stored so I can do just that. As I wrote my letter to Miranda I just kept drifting back to my wedding day, and then to hers... going over all the images in my mind and how incredibly awesome it felt to know that I could completely trust she was capturing my day the way I wanted. I had a lot of bumps in the road the last month before our wedding and it was a blessing to have at least one thing that I knew couldn't possibly go wrong. (the second thing was knowing my husband would be waiting at the end of the aisle for me... no doubts there!)
Miranda has had a huge influence on the person I am (since we are each other, after all). There are personality traits she has that I have always greatly admired and strive to emulate in my own life more. One of the greatest things I treasure about our friendship is that whenever she is around I just feel at peace. I trust her implicitly, and because of that I rarely feel the need to stress when she's around. I can't think of hardly a single other person in my life who does that for me, it's awesome.
Our lives may have followed different paths, both in getting here and from here on out. We may have different outlooks on things, we may have different tastes, yet there is something fundamentally the same about us. I don't know if it's a wavelength, a soul thing, a weird telekinetic power or what, but when I think of Miranda I think of myself, and all the ways in which we hope to influence the world.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Letter #40 - Connie Sue
Sometimes it's difficult to remember that the kids who were kids when I last saw them in person are now teenagers and young adults. That presents a challenge when I write to them because I have to be very conscious of my tone and language. Instead of asking them how school is, I have to ask what they're studying, or if they've decided on what they want to do when they graduate. Instead of using phrases like "I hope you are having fun" it's "what kinds of stuff are you doing these days?" It puts me in a reflective mode as I remember letters I used to get from older friends as I was growing up.
Letter #40 went to a girl I know named Connie Sue. I met Connie Sue at a church camp in Alaska the same year I met my husband. I got talked into helping out with the Junior High class and ended up having a really fun time getting to know the 10 kids in the class and spending time with them. We taught each other crazy campfire songs, made s'mores, wandered around nature preserves, etc. It was overall just a really neat week. Connie Sue, her brother and her cousin were all in that class, and we spent a lot of time watching the family dynamics unroll. It was cool to see that even though they picked on each other a lot, they also still liked each other quite a bit, similar to my brother and I at those ages.
I sent Connie Sue a wedding photo and invited her to look me up if she was on facebook (I haven't been able to find her there yet). We have exchanged a handful of letters over the years, but I'm hoping this one will maybe invite a more regular exchange. She was a really neat kid and I'd love to get to know the young woman she's grown into since I last saw her!
Letter #40 went to a girl I know named Connie Sue. I met Connie Sue at a church camp in Alaska the same year I met my husband. I got talked into helping out with the Junior High class and ended up having a really fun time getting to know the 10 kids in the class and spending time with them. We taught each other crazy campfire songs, made s'mores, wandered around nature preserves, etc. It was overall just a really neat week. Connie Sue, her brother and her cousin were all in that class, and we spent a lot of time watching the family dynamics unroll. It was cool to see that even though they picked on each other a lot, they also still liked each other quite a bit, similar to my brother and I at those ages.
I sent Connie Sue a wedding photo and invited her to look me up if she was on facebook (I haven't been able to find her there yet). We have exchanged a handful of letters over the years, but I'm hoping this one will maybe invite a more regular exchange. She was a really neat kid and I'd love to get to know the young woman she's grown into since I last saw her!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Letter #38 - Brad
The advent of Facebook has made birthdays AWESOME to me. Gone are the days of people maybe not remembering, or not even knowing that it's your birthday. Now you can get birthday greetings from people you've never even met, or maybe know distantly, or haven't seen in 30 years but keep in touch with once a week by commenting on each others' status or photos.
This project is intended to focus on good old fashioned mail, so for letter #39 I'm using some of the knowledge Facebook has provided me with in order to bring some good old fashioned birthday greetings to a friend of mine. Brad is turning 18 this week. It seems crazy to me because it seems only yesterday he was one of those awkward little kids running around church camp bossing his little brother around (as an older sibling I can relate). I had the great pleasure of taking Brad's senior portraits last summer. He's turned into such a great kid, and has the whole world opening up to him as he finishes up his high school career and begins to contemplate the new chapter of his life.
I wish him so much success and have enjoyed watching him grow up. I hope his birthday is amazing and that he enjoys receiving something as ancient as a birthday card.
This project is intended to focus on good old fashioned mail, so for letter #39 I'm using some of the knowledge Facebook has provided me with in order to bring some good old fashioned birthday greetings to a friend of mine. Brad is turning 18 this week. It seems crazy to me because it seems only yesterday he was one of those awkward little kids running around church camp bossing his little brother around (as an older sibling I can relate). I had the great pleasure of taking Brad's senior portraits last summer. He's turned into such a great kid, and has the whole world opening up to him as he finishes up his high school career and begins to contemplate the new chapter of his life.
I wish him so much success and have enjoyed watching him grow up. I hope his birthday is amazing and that he enjoys receiving something as ancient as a birthday card.
Letter #37 - Diane
I've mentioned before that it's inevitable certain letters will automatically lead me to my next letter recipient. Dave was an example of this. Thinking of Dave led me to think about Diane. Diane was my boss and minister when I was an undergrad. She spent 2 years ministering to me and trying to get me to move into the Journey House, then to become the Resident Assistant. She succeeded on all fronts, and I'm so glad for it. I spent many, MANY hours in Diane's office working on projects, chatting about life, escaping my housemates to get homework done, etc. She is a wonderful woman and a natural cheerleader. She could always tell when something was wrong, and even if she couldn't help me fix the problem, she knew how to help make me feel a bit better.
Writing to Diane brought me back to the house... sitting at my desk and hearing her call a greeting around the corner as she came up the stairs to say hello or check in. Watching her face light up when someone would say something funny or share some good news. Listening to her lead a harmony line during hymn sings, watching her lead us in a capella verses, hearing the vacuum turn on and knowing she'd arrived for the day... there are days in my life now, sitting at home by myself, where I would just kill for her to show up at the door and invite me out to a coffee shop.
Writing to Diane brought me back to the house... sitting at my desk and hearing her call a greeting around the corner as she came up the stairs to say hello or check in. Watching her face light up when someone would say something funny or share some good news. Listening to her lead a harmony line during hymn sings, watching her lead us in a capella verses, hearing the vacuum turn on and knowing she'd arrived for the day... there are days in my life now, sitting at home by myself, where I would just kill for her to show up at the door and invite me out to a coffee shop.
Letter #36 - Dave
I never really got to know my grandfathers. As a result, I tend to swoon over grandfatherly men (in the awwww sweet kind of way, not the grossly inappropriate age difference kind of way). When I was doing my undergrad, my pastor was one of these types (a young grandfather though). His wife was this incredibly sweet lady and he was this cranky man with a super soft side that he preferred most people didn't notice. I fell into the category of people who were allowed to shamelessly exploit that soft side and make him hug me a lot. Whenever I get to see him now that I've moved away from East Lansing, I get big hugs and enthusiastic requests for details on my life since he's last seen me. The last time I saw him, I was thrilled to hear that things in his life had done an almost 180 (he'd had a rough few years there!) and that he was practically floating he was so happy. It was awesome to see.
Dave is another person who is on my Christmas card list and doesn't ever hear from me outside of that unless we see each other in person somewhere. As I contemplated how to start my letter off to him, I was overcome with memories from times spent with that congregation, with Dave and his wife, with Dave's mother before she passed away. As grumpy as he could get when I lived there, he still had a beautiful heart that almost always shone through. He is a compassionate man, and I am so blessed to know him. He has brought amazing ministry to my life, and I doubt he has any idea this is the case.
Dave is another person who is on my Christmas card list and doesn't ever hear from me outside of that unless we see each other in person somewhere. As I contemplated how to start my letter off to him, I was overcome with memories from times spent with that congregation, with Dave and his wife, with Dave's mother before she passed away. As grumpy as he could get when I lived there, he still had a beautiful heart that almost always shone through. He is a compassionate man, and I am so blessed to know him. He has brought amazing ministry to my life, and I doubt he has any idea this is the case.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Letter #34 - Meredith
I've had a rough few years. I've been dealing with some personal demons, and processing some tragedies that occurred in the life of my family. As I've continued to work through some of these things I have recently found myself at a bit of a crossroads when it comes to religion. I used to be very active and involved in my church, and part of me misses that very much, especially when it comes to the times I was able to interact with the kids and help be a positive influence in their lives. Because of some of my own things I'm not currently not emotionally in a place to continue to be involved at that level, but I do very much still want those connections. This project has allowed me an inbetween place that I hadn't had before. It allows me to connect with those kids, without risking my own issues being challenged before I'm ready to face them at that level.
Meredith is one of those kids. She's a camper I've always tried to keep an eye on. She's struggled with a lot of the same issues most girls her age experience, and I've tried to be a positive influence, if from a more distanced setting. Meredith and I recently connected on facebook, which has given me an entirely new way to communicate with her. I decided this week to send her a letter as an attempt on my part to establish a more concrete relationship with her. The experience dredged up some of the reflections above, and made me consider the reasons I felt led to reach out to her. It was a really interesting and useful experience for me, and I was able to finally pinpoint a way in which I can still share of myself, without doing so in a capacity that would quickly make me feel cynical or inauthentic. I was glad to find that outlet.
Meredith is one of those kids. She's a camper I've always tried to keep an eye on. She's struggled with a lot of the same issues most girls her age experience, and I've tried to be a positive influence, if from a more distanced setting. Meredith and I recently connected on facebook, which has given me an entirely new way to communicate with her. I decided this week to send her a letter as an attempt on my part to establish a more concrete relationship with her. The experience dredged up some of the reflections above, and made me consider the reasons I felt led to reach out to her. It was a really interesting and useful experience for me, and I was able to finally pinpoint a way in which I can still share of myself, without doing so in a capacity that would quickly make me feel cynical or inauthentic. I was glad to find that outlet.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Letter #21 - Madeline
One of my letters this week went to Madeline, who is the wife of a former colleague of my dad's. When we first moved to MI, Madeline was someone I saw pretty regularly at church events, and she and my mum were good friends. When I decided to go to MSU, Madeline was excited to fill the role of my "school mom" and did a great job. She would keep tabs on me, send me care packages, etc. During my time at MSU, I felt close to her, even if we didn't see each other more than usually about once a week at church (sometimes more). My time there was also a time of stress and transition (some good, some bad) for her family, so in some ways I think we could have been much closer, but life got in the way. Madeline worked for a seniors home, and our church group activities often included spending time with her residents. I usually looked more forward to these to see the smile it brought to Madeline's face than I did for the sake of the seniors... (not that the seniors weren't important too, of course!)
After I graduated and moved away, Madeline became one of those faces I missed a lot. I got to a point where I feel like I have no idea what is going on in her life anymore, and I don't really like that feeling. So I wrote her a note, sent her a few wedding photos (she wasn't able to make the wedding due to work), and am hoping it will renew our communication for the future!
After I graduated and moved away, Madeline became one of those faces I missed a lot. I got to a point where I feel like I have no idea what is going on in her life anymore, and I don't really like that feeling. So I wrote her a note, sent her a few wedding photos (she wasn't able to make the wedding due to work), and am hoping it will renew our communication for the future!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Letter #18 - Brenda
This week I have been feeling very homesick for Europe. I think this is in part because this project forces me to spend a lot of time thinking about the people in my life, which of course includes all of the people from that time in my life as well. I also have been chatting with a friend of mine who is soon to become an expat as she moves her family to Brazil, and that has had me very focused on my family's experiences. This brought me to Brenda for today's letter.
Brenda and her husband were expats living in Germany while my family was in the Netherlands. They were also church members, which is how our lives became intertwined. I was never excited to travel to Germany when we lived there. Partly because of my own cultural biases (I was living in one of the most devastated cities of WWII... those wounds haven't quite healed in most people), and partly because there were never any kids our age, usually a heavy concentration of older people who didn't speak much or any English, and it was BORING for my brother and I to be on those trips. Brenda and her husband gave us a reason to look forward to going there. When mom and dad would announce a trip to Germany, our first question was "are Brenda & Meredith going to be there?"
Writing to Brenda allowed me to remember many happy times spent with them, at camps, in their home, shopping at the American Stores on base where they worked... Mum and I were lucky enough to spend some time with them last year at our church's world conference, and so I was also able to reflect on those conversations. Brenda has a warm and inviting spirit. She is very motherly, and quite elegant. She is someone who will always make me feel at home, because we were lucky enough to share the incredible experience of living outside of our own culture and language, and learning to see the world in a whole new light. Granted we went through these experiences as two very different people in two very different places in our lives, but we still share the core of that experience, which is something I share with fewer and fewer people in my life as I've become more "geographically stable" as I like to call it.
Brenda and her husband were expats living in Germany while my family was in the Netherlands. They were also church members, which is how our lives became intertwined. I was never excited to travel to Germany when we lived there. Partly because of my own cultural biases (I was living in one of the most devastated cities of WWII... those wounds haven't quite healed in most people), and partly because there were never any kids our age, usually a heavy concentration of older people who didn't speak much or any English, and it was BORING for my brother and I to be on those trips. Brenda and her husband gave us a reason to look forward to going there. When mom and dad would announce a trip to Germany, our first question was "are Brenda & Meredith going to be there?"
Writing to Brenda allowed me to remember many happy times spent with them, at camps, in their home, shopping at the American Stores on base where they worked... Mum and I were lucky enough to spend some time with them last year at our church's world conference, and so I was also able to reflect on those conversations. Brenda has a warm and inviting spirit. She is very motherly, and quite elegant. She is someone who will always make me feel at home, because we were lucky enough to share the incredible experience of living outside of our own culture and language, and learning to see the world in a whole new light. Granted we went through these experiences as two very different people in two very different places in our lives, but we still share the core of that experience, which is something I share with fewer and fewer people in my life as I've become more "geographically stable" as I like to call it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)