Sock Monkey!

"Today was gonna be the day
But they'll never throw it back to you"
-Oasis

Yesterday was a beautiful day. After work, I went to Unity Unitarian as I do most Sundays. The service was on the subject of healing. Andy made the point that there is no such thing as miraculous healing (as many Christian faiths would have you believe). People are not touched and then healed of their wounds, physical or emotional. Rather, Andy presented the idea that true healing often comes simply from listening/sharing. He challenged us to truly listen to those who come to us with hurt to share. He challenged us to "don't just do something, stand there!" We then did an exercise in listening with a partner. I was paired with a girl (young woman) about my age who I have been getting to know over the past few weeks. Andy asked us to speak/listen for 1 minute on the question "who are you?" My exchange with my partner was...well healing...just like it was supposed to be. It ended up that my partner and I are going through similar emotional processes right now. We continued our conversation into the tea time that follows each service. Also, during Tea I had a really exciting conversation about monkey behavior with Andy, a community member not Minister Andy, and a woman named Tammy.

Later in the evening, I returned to Unity for a dinner hosted by Andy, the minister, and his wife, Miriam. Before any eating, we all decorated our meeting hall with a tree and garlands. After we were satisfied with our work we moved towards dinner. Andy and Miriam live in a really cute flat about the community center we meet in. Miriam had made a HUGE pot of chili, spiced cider, mulled wine and other delicious teats. Upstairs we helped decorate their tree with all their family ornaments and popcorn that we strung. Those of us who came were mostly the younger members of the community, people without families around to help get in the Christmas spirit. We ended up staying for almost 5 hours talking and laughing and sharing. As we were leaving, Tammy reached into her purse and pulled out two mini blue sock monkeys which she presented to non-minister Andy and myself. When she had gone home between the service (when we talked about monkeys) and the dinner she had grabbed these little monkeys which she had MADE to give as little Christmas presents to Andy and I. I LOVE this community and I LOVE my new monkey! It is so patiently welcoming and inclusive. I feel very much a part of it and connected in a way that I haven't really experienced before. I feel supported and supportive. In being nurtured, I feel more nurturing.