Story Archive
When I stumbled into recovery from alcoholism I ran head-on into a lot of religious language that was different from my upbringing in the UU [Unitarian Universalist] church. I was a rampant atheist and was not quite sure what to do. Fortunately I grew up with the curriculum, The Church Across the Street. From this I understood that as a UU I could comfortably go anywhere theologically with an open mind. This allowed me to stay put in recovery and engage the religious issues that arose with sobriety. Eventually I became enamored with the strength and grace and religious language and moved closer to a Christian center within my UU faith. I'm now a candidate for UU ministry. It was only the liberal openness of my UU Sunday school learning that allowed me to move in this direction.
—David Ashcraft, Richmond, Indiana
My UU journey began shortly after the sudden death of my partner of 18 years at the hands of a drunk driver. In loneliness and isolation, I became a workaholic....always on the run. Remembering the GLBT social events at a UU [church], I started to go to services. I found a SAFE place. It has saved me life, and given me meaning and purpose.
—Anonymous
Joining First Church just over 2 years ago after many years in Christian church memberships, my spirituality and awareness has grown beyond all expectations. Our home has changed to a more "fair trade" procurement of goods and foods and "green" in every way possible in our use of the resources we need. I am grateful to all my UU resources for teaching me the value of walking my walk in these troubled times.
—Bill Fry, Portland, Oregon
My son, who had always been kind of wild, wrapped his car around a telephone pole a week after his high school graduation. For several days he was in intensive care, on a respirator and in and out of a coma. When he was awake, the only way he could communicate was through facial expressions and squeezing our hands. After a few days, with his hands tied to the bed and his eyes barely open, he signaled that he wanted to write. As I stood there with our minister, my son wrote, “I want to get out of here. I want to go to my church.” Not only was I overjoyed that the brain injury did not take away his ability to write, but I was amazed that his attachment to the church was that deep. My whole family has been blessed with a loving church community.
P.S. At the time, I had been a member of the UU Congregation of Montclair for 16 years. Since that time, I moved to Summit and married a long-time member of the Summit Unitarian Church. Now I'm blessed with another loving church community and a wonderful UU husband.
—Carol Conger Miller, Summit, New Jersey
UC [Evanston] is my beloved community. It is not only a place where I work, but a way of life—it has become a home, filled with people who are dear to me. I have seen babies born, young adults graduate, elderly friends die—an ever evolving community—a circle of life.
After 20 years in the civic world as Associate Director of a major civic organization in Chicago, and later as a Chamber of Commerce Director, I was ready to embark on a new career. I wanted to give of my time and talent where I felt I could make difference in the lives of others. UCE has become that place. As a matter of fact—was that place upon entering the doors.
In 2001 my son was about to enter high school. I wanted to be in Evanston—to be closer to home—to be there when Ryan came home from school. After some months of searching I read an ad in the Evanston Review. I had never thought of working at a church, but the ad spoke to my experience… and my calling began.
My first meeting was with Peggy Boccard, who was then Acting Church Manager. The position as Peggy explained it seemed to be a perfect fit. Subsequently, I met with Rev. Pescan and Rev. Tyndall and with Martha Holman, Board Chair. I knew this place and these people were for me.
One week after accepting the job my older brother Lloyd died suddenly in an accident. My world was turned upside down. This community surrounded me with love and support as I began my work here. One year later as Rev. Pescan and Rev. Sinnamon sat at my side, I took the call from my nephew telling me that my father had died of a heart attack. These two events were turning points. I was at the place I needed to be. I began to fully realize that we are a community as a people. That we join together to share the common losses and common joys of life. I began to understand that I was a Unitarian many years before I knew what a Unitarian is.
At UCE I work with people who go beyond the call of duty, who are eager to do their very best for this church. The staff is devoted—leadership gives their time and talent, not to promote their company name, but to promote a faith and a church they believe in. It is a nurturing community. I am proud to be a part of this place and of this work.
—Anonymous
When I had to call 911 to send an ambulance because my husband couldn't get up we were flooded with love and concern from our congregation plus other friends.
—Sarah Tate, West Palm Beach, Florida
Truly a blessing, one of our foster children returned to our home on 10/20 and he recently had an evaluation finding him “the happiest boy we’ve ever seen,” what a joy. We expect his two brothers to join him here in their forever home in the coming months and fingers crossed, we plan adoptions in 2009. We are truly blessed.
—Patricia Link, Ripley, West Virginia
In August, 1995, a few weeks into a new ministry in Virginia, away from all of the support systems of friends and family, our 20 year old daughter came to visit us in our new home. Out one night with friends from university, on her way home to us the car she was riding in was hit head-on by a truck driven by a drunk driver going the wrong way on the Interstate. In an instant, three of the four young people in the car were killed, including our Ericka.
And so began a journey of relying on the "kindness of strangers" who were not really strangers because they were fellow UUs.
We needed information: I had been in the new community such a short time I didn't even know where a funeral home was.
We needed comfort: into our lives poured ministerial colleagues who came unbidden and unfamiliar, with ready shoulders for tears and appropriate words of solace.
We needed community: not only the congregation I was serving but members from all of the surrounding UU congregations were there at the memorial service, standing with us in our time of need, knowing only that we shared a common spiritual path.
We needed faith: a younger colleague who had known our daughter brought the reminders of our liberal religious tradition that can encourage us even in the face of what seems like ultimate loss.
So, we never stood alone, but were embraced by a community of faith. For that, we will always feel blessed.
—Rev. Dr. Randolph W. B. Becker, Key West, Florida
I am so grateful for my friends at UU Waco, Texas, for my supportive friends, and my beautiful grandgrrlz.
—Anonymous
My mother, who lives with me, has dementia and is declining rapidly. I work full time and run my own business part time, leaving little time to care for her. A dear friend of mine moved into my home in September and has not only watched over my mother, but continually helps me to work through the various emotions I'm experiencing while watching my mom deteriorate. I'm extremely grateful for her support and the support of my brother. My friend had been out of the country and out of touch for quite some time prior to the onset of my mother's illness. She resurfaced and needed a place to stay right around the time my mother was diagnosed. I believe that God brought her back into my life so that we could help each other.
—Anonymous
My work as a Religious Educator is a blessing in my life. To be challenged to be ever better in service to a congregation and our faith, and to learn and grow in the company of seekers has been a true gift.
—Anne Bancroft, Newton, Massachusetts
I am blessed to be part of a faith community that opened my eyes up to the realities of racism. I have been personally transformed by this work and am grateful for the leadership of Unitarian Universalism to continue to challenge me to grow and deepen.
—Anonymous
My daughter was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer two years ago. She has been in remission for more than a year. That is my greatest blessing.
—Anonymous
My most recent and deeply felt blessing is my recent marriage with my partner. We've been friends for over 20 years, and fell in love 6 years ago. He's been a true blessing in my life.
—Kathy Partridge, Longmont, Colorado
Our greatest blessing is our marriage; it is our sanctuary, our sacred space, our refuge, our crowning glory, within which we are both free to grow and learn and become the best selves we have yet been. All of this, in the context of an open and free search for meaning, in the UU tradition. We are so grateful!
—Anonymous
From a very young age in my life I have learned to look at every event in my life to be with purpose and therefore give thanks no matter if it brought joy or sadness at that particular time to me.
With such an out look in life I have had many memorable events in my life for which I have been very grateful. I guess it all depends what one considers to be a blessing for one's self. To me everything counts a blessing. I like to believe that every little thing teaches me something that should learn and know, and I believe learning from life's experiences are so rich in essence to one's life.
I had learned to hold on to positive thoughts and be optimistic about matters concerning life and living. I am a believer in the source of goodness that enriches life and provides for spiritual value to life and living. These systems of beliefs I acquired from my father who was a Buddhist, my mother who was a Roman Catholic and I who turned out to be an Anglican since my teens.
As an Anglican Priest serving the church in Sri Lanka I had great joy in ministering to different congregations in the urban and rural areas. Life was full of eventful experiences and with my involvement with people, and working for and with people, my life became a blessing to me as well to many with whom I came in contact. It was my thirst for truth and meaning in life that I asked many questions about beliefs traditions and practices that took me places and eventually to know about Unitarian Universalism.
It is eight years since I have come to know Unitarian and Universalism. I have had a lot of hurdles to conquer and [in] every event, it has been people who have been there for me. Who would ever dream that Nihal from Srilanka a priest of the Anglican church leave his vocation and country to live [among] strangers in another country for twenty years, looking a liberating faith—then come to know the Unitarian Universalist in Dumaguete City in the Philippines and after eight years be elected as the President of the UU church of the Philippines? Because of the friendship with UUs in the United States get all his legal problems resolved with immigration and tour the states all in one year—2008? Isn’t this a blessing?
Yes, it depends how one looks, at what a blessing must look like. What is important to me is that I had a life story behind the blessing. I had worked hard my way with a positive outlook in life, sincere to myself, responsible, accountable, looking for ways to be of help to others rather than immersing too much with my own wants and needs. What good one does to others [returns] a blessing. I guess this must have been the reason why I consider [myself] to be blessed. Let us be a blessing to others! Thank you.
—Nihal Attanayake, Dumaguete City, Philippines
I've been blessed with the gift of age. Who knew? It's the only way I can think of to put it. I have less self-doubt; which frees me to move forward with plans and ideas that hold value for me. At 58, though aches and pains have begun to creep into my body, I have more energy, maybe it's more energy of the psyche, than I have had in quite some time. I'm not as afraid to step beyond my comfort zone. Though retired after 25 years at a job of physical labor, I have taken a part-time job as a newspaper clerk, hoping to stretch my mind and skills. I am secure in my friendships and am learning to better cultivate and nurture them. This blessing of age is a fairly new revelation for me, so thank you for letting me try to articulate my newest sense of self.
—Kay H. Wilson, Waco, Texas
First I would like to say that some of our greatest blessings are those of which we cannot speak. That being said, I offer the following story as a special blessing received this holiday season:
I hate the computer… but it can be a wonderful thing.
Throughout my life, Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house was a great family affair. ‘Over the river and through the woods’ described our annual trek to the country home that my grandmother shared with her sister. She and my great-aunt were tiny little dynamos in complete command of the kitchen, hefting 25-pound turkeys and restaurant-sized soup pots.
Dinner was in the basement and everyone had a role. Children set the tables, men brought down the food and, after dinner, the women and teens washed the dishes. Then, the men and teens went outside to play football, the women caught up on family life, and the children were allowed to open the Treasure Box under the basement stairs. The Treasure Box had all manner of small toys and games just right for little hands.
Grandma’s Treasure Box also contained some well-worn Little Golden Books. I would race to the box and rummage around for my favorite book about an old lady with a feather in her hat and a puffin. We all grew older, each assuming our roles in turn. The Treasure Box and the book became one of my favorite childhood memories.
Grandma and Aunt Ann died several years ago and I’ve been trying ever since to find that Little Golden Book. With only those few key words (feather, hat, puffin), I searched dozens of websites and hundreds of titles, unsuccessfully. Recently, I posted a note on a new site and received an email the very next morning with the title and author of the book from an anonymous ‘friend’. Unfortunately, Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather is one of the more collectible Little Golden Books out of print and, having lost my job recently, I couldn’t afford any of the used copies I found online. Besides, I remembered that I loved the book, but I didn’t remember the actual story. I certainly couldn’t afford to buy a sentiment that I might see differently through adult eyes.
Two days before Christmas, I wistfully relayed the story to my daughter and her husband over a birthday dinner. I told them how excited I was that, at last, I finally knew the title of the book! Some day, maybe….end of story.
On Christmas Eve, my daughter couldn’t wait for me to open my gifts; she was as restless and excited as a child on Christmas morning. She hurried me through a pile of riches and then, eyes aglow, bursting with anticipation, handed me her final package. There was Mrs. Ticklefeather’s smiling face on a vintage copy of the story! It really didn’t matter anymore what the theme of the story was; my daughter’s gift of love was the priceless treasure. I only wished I could show my grandmother, “Look, Grandma, Mrs. Ticklefeather!”
As soon as my guests left for the evening, I snuggled in to read my beloved childhood story. Mrs. Ticklefeather longs for a sunflower to put in a beautiful vase in her home. Her dear companion Paul, the puffin, sneaks out that night to get her one, and encounters danger along the way. A resourceful police officer saves the day, and Mrs. Ticklefeather and Paul (sunflower in his beak) are reunited. The story is about love and devotion, giving and peacemaking.
Computers can isolate us, or they can bring us together in ways we never imagine. No wonder Lucky Mrs. Ticklefeather was a favorite story, and how lucky I am to have been blessed by the generations both before me and after me.
—Dianne Farrelly, Lilburn, Georgia
While visiting my daughter and her family in Eugene, OR over Thanksgiving, we worked at the Food for Lane County, OR, facility, where they were serving breakfast and dinner, and also offered gently-used clothing and toys. My eight-year-old grandson helped out, as well. This truly enhanced our own Thanksgiving celebration. It also gave me a chance to compare their services with those of Respond Now, an emergency help agency in Chicago Heights, IL, where I work on Wednesdays. We are getting about 35% more people needing help over last year's numbers.
—Suzanne Brown, Park Forest, Illinois
The Unitarian Church of Hot Springs has helped me embrace my spirituality. The loving family at UUCHS adopted me and helped me to nurture my self-image, gain confidence and find a safe rest with an inner peace I had never known.
Growing up, I endured a childhood of painful abuse based on the religious beliefs of my parents. I was threatened if I talked to people, learned to distrust people, and was punished if I showed that I felt anything.
My response to my childhood was to reject the Father God of my parents completely. For many years I denied my own spirituality, a reminder of my pain. Help was unaffordable, so the long road of recovery has been slow and intensely personal for me.
When doing research into Transcendentalism, I liked what I found out about Unitarian-Universalists. Shortly after, I literally drove by The Unitarian Church of Hot Springs and decided to try it out.
It didn't take me long to figure out that finding this loving community of wonderful people was the best thing had ever happened to me. They have been such a blessing, bringing my soul back to life, encouraging me to strive to do and be things I'd long ago given up, supporting me with a depth of caring I'd never experienced before. Simply put, living their covenant: “Love is the doctrine of this church.”
What a blessing to belong to a community that supports and loves each other!
—Dori Braithwaite, Benton, Arkansas
I was blessed earlier this year by being able to witness my mother's passage from this life to the great beyond. She blessed me with a new perspective on death and illness. I came to realize that we come into this world with no possessions and that we exit that way as well. Therefore, all that we think we possess is an illusion. My mother's true essence came through brighter as her body became more frail. Her faith in the creator, whatever that is, helped her go in peace.
—Doug McCusker, Burke, Virginia
Note: These stories are contributed by individual Unitarian Universalists; the content remains the opinion or statement of the contributor.
Last updated on Wednesday, October 7, 2009.
