On Saturday so much happened. In the morning the babysitter, Anna, came over and then my mom and I headed to the MWEG (Mormon Women for Ethical Government) conference. It was so amazing and inspiring! We went to a workshop on loving your enemy and learned more about MWEG and how we could be more active citizen advocates. We also listened to several accomplished women speak, which was very motivating and uplifting.
Maybe my favorite part was running into my friend, Ellen Henneman. I knew her back when Abe and I were first married and living in Chicago. We have kept up online and have had more contact recently as it has become apparent that we share very similar political and religious paradigms. It literally felt like a shock of joy to see her in person (she lives in Washington and flew down for the conference).
Then we came home, and I kept the kids alive until bedtime. (Well, Clarissa kept bugging Bazi and got bitten and scratched…)
Then at 7 we had the first meeting of a book club a friend and I organized. It was an online meeting and it was SO CATHARTIC. We called the book club “the doorkeeper’s book club” after the Richard Rohr concept of doorkeeping. We connected on Zoom and had the best conversation about our faith journeys. Sometimes a faith journey can feel profoundly lonely, and I often wonder if I am crazy or evil. It was WONDERFUL to get together with friends and realize that these intelligent, beautiful souls share my very same feelings. It was awesome.
In the middle of the book club, Abe called. He was stuck in the mountains with a flat tire. He didn’t have any flashlights in his car, so I raced to find some and drive them up to him. I met up with him on the side of the road in the canyon and talked his ears off while he heroically changed the tire, which had fused on the car from rust. I kept suggesting we just leave it and call Triple A, but Abe never gives up and persisted until the problem was solved. He is the epitome of grit.
As soon as we got back, my friend Jen from the book club started texting me and then told me that my friend Candace’s husband had just died. I couldn’t believe the text and immediately called Candace.
That was one of the hardest calls. Really, I don’t feel comfortable blogging about my dear friend’s tragedy. It is horrible what she and her children are suffering. I really don’t have any words.