Celebrations and Commemorations

One week ago today, I became a blogger with my first posting on this site. And as I was thinking about that mini-milestone, I realized that this weekend also marks the anniversary of two special parts of my life.

This morning found me on the baseball field in my volunteer role as an assistant coach with a baseball program for special needs kids. And it was eight years ago, on the last weekend in May, that I began that wonderful adventure. We have some new faces every year, and this year's brought us a few more younger players than we've seen in the past few years. And other players have moved away or moved on to other interests or Saturday activities. But I've had the opportunity to watch a lot of these kids grow and mature over the years. A few have graduated from high school and gotten jobs. It's been a wonderful opportunity to share my love of baseball, even making the occasional play in the field or taking a turn at bat; as well as to get to know the players and their families.

And on that same weekend eight years ago, I first visited the Unitarian Universalist congregation that has become my spiritual home. My family did not attend church when I was growing up, but I was christened and raised with all the appropriate Bible stories, lessons, and values. Early on, so early on that I'm not sure how or why, I also developped an interest in Judaism. During high school and college, I became interested in the Eastern religions, and later in earth-based, and Native American faiths. I came to understand that all religious share the same basic concepts and values; they just have different ways of teaching about and connecting with the Divine.

Shortly after college, I learned that the first Universalist sermon in the United States had been delivered about a mile from my home, at a site where the local UU's meet. I read the description of Unitarian Universalism and thought "That's me!" But I was living at home again with my non-church-going parents. And I had observed enough of what I call Sunday Christians, folks who attend church religiously, but lived lives of spite, hatred, and other hypocrisies; that I'd become rather suspicious of organized religion. And so, I remained an "unaligned monotheism"; a phrase I'd found in a Time magazine article I read during college.

But about 10 years ago, I began to desire a religious community. I had moved by then, and learned that there was a Unitarian Universalist congregation just over 20 miles away. But I wasn't sure I wanted to make that long drive on Sunday mornings. I also occasionally glanced at the phone listing for the local Jewish congregation, but felt a bit awkward about actually picking up the phone.

Then the night before I first stepped onto that baseball field, I'd stopped by my brother's house to borrow a glove; and there in the newspaper was a listing for a newly forming UU congregation right in my home town. So on the last Sunday in May, eight years ago, I walked into my congregation for the very first time; and I've attended nearly every Sunday ever since. Here I've found a great many friends; a supportive, nuturing community; lots of new volunteer opportunities; a choir to sing in; and my significant other.

I sometimes joke, borrowing a phrase from an old Saturday Night Live skit, that baseball's been very, very good to me. But I'm only half joking, because my enthusiasm for the sport has increased my circle of friends and changed my life in so many more ways than I'd imagined.

And so this weekend, I celebrate the happy little miracles of life that can happen when we say "yes" to a new opportunity. If I'd let my lack of athletic skill, or my shyness keep me away from either activity, I'd still be okay; but I'd likely be less busy and less happy today. And I doubt that I'd be confident enough to share these celebratory words with you.

Eight years ago, I was a stranger who was made to feel very welcome in two very different settings. Yes, baseball's been very, very good to me indeed!