I had an amazing afternoon with a former parishioner. She has moved to our city because of her husband's job. We were able to spend a couple hours catching up on people from my former community -- deaths, births, divorces, illnesses, events.
When you spend seven-and-a-half years in one church, you develop a lot of close relationships. When you arrive, children are toddlers. When you leave, they're in elementary school. The changes are pretty incredible and it's so exciting to be along for the ride.
As we were sitting in the kitchen, the oldest girl arrived home off the school bus. She's in grade eight this year, moving up to high school next year. Although I'd seen her briefly on Thanksgiving Sunday, today I was able to see a tall, gorgeous 14-year-old who is still shy, like she was when she was four, but whose blue eyes shine like her brunette hair.
For sojourners like me, who float in and out of people's lives, I see glimpses of beauty in all kinds of people at many different stages of life. Every stage is important. Teenage-hood, however, is very special and should never be discounted as just "something we need to get through." It's beauty speaks to all the bristling potential that is ready to arise and find it's voice. And that's precious, oh so precious.
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