’91
Human studies
Considering what I see other people going through, I’m doing okay. I’m learning to do things differently and it isn’t easy. I am an Episcopal priest who reached mandatory retirement in December 2019. While I expected a little down town, perhaps visiting family in Rhode Island, I found myself needed by a little church close to my home. It was about a month before the pandemic hit.
With no Sunday worship scheduled, I began sending uplifting messages to my parishioners. But what to do with older parishioners who didn鈥檛 have e-mail? We began 鈥渄rive-thru鈥� services on Palm Sunday, and I continue to e-mail messages as well.
It鈥檚 challenging to work with older people who are afraid to venture out while trying to keep them involved. I鈥檓 beginning to use Zoom meetings, and while they do the job right now, they lack a great deal, not the least of which is human contact. Christians hug, and in some cases, when an older person lives alone, Sunday worship is the only time they are touched. It鈥檚 a definite human need, and to me, that is what I miss most.
As terrible as all this is, there has definitely been a silver lining: people are getting out of themselves and helping one another鈥arents are spending more time with their children鈥hildren are watching as kindness after kindness is being shared. It鈥檚 priceless! It鈥檚 a way God takes lemons and makes lemonade!
My husband is still working and for the most part our day-to-day life is scheduled. What do I do with my free time? Since I鈥檓 72 years old, I stay home, except for Sundays and grocery shopping every two weeks. Nothing exciting. I鈥檓 cleaning and straightening up more. I鈥檓 just enjoying my home. After so many years of working, I鈥檓 finally getting the chance to notice things that I鈥檝e lived with for years. Most days, it鈥檚 actually a blessing.
When this is over, our little church will have a lot of rebuilding to do. I have a devoted core group of people who will be there to help, and I trust that God has a plan.
Considering what I see other people going through, I’m doing okay. I’m learning to do things differently and it isn’t easy. I am an Episcopal priest who reached mandatory retirement in December 2019. While I expected a little down town, perhaps visiting family in Rhode Island, I found myself needed by a little church close to my home. It was about a month before the pandemic hit.
With no Sunday worship scheduled, I began sending uplifting messages to my parishioners. But what to do with older parishioners who didn鈥檛 have e-mail? We began 鈥渄rive-thru鈥� services on Palm Sunday, and I continue to e-mail messages as well.
It鈥檚 challenging to work with older people who are afraid to venture out while trying to keep them involved. I鈥檓 beginning to use Zoom meetings, and while they do the job right now, they lack a great deal, not the least of which is human contact. Christians hug, and in some cases, when an older person lives alone, Sunday worship is the only time they are touched. It鈥檚 a definite human need, and to me, that is what I miss most.
As terrible as all this is, there has definitely been a silver lining: people are getting out of themselves and helping one another鈥arents are spending more time with their children鈥hildren are watching as kindness after kindness is being shared. It鈥檚 priceless! It鈥檚 a way God takes lemons and makes lemonade!
My husband is still working and for the most part our day-to-day life is scheduled. What do I do with my free time? Since I鈥檓 72 years old, I stay home, except for Sundays and grocery shopping every two weeks. Nothing exciting. I鈥檓 cleaning and straightening up more. I鈥檓 just enjoying my home. After so many years of working, I鈥檓 finally getting the chance to notice things that I鈥檝e lived with for years. Most days, it鈥檚 actually a blessing.
When this is over, our little church will have a lot of rebuilding to do. I have a devoted core group of people who will be there to help, and I trust that God has a plan.