Thursday, May 30, 2013

Continuing Education

In Vulnerability


I am back on my back porch sitting, as usual, in awe and gratitude for the blessings of my life. Yesterday I returned from a visit to Kentucky with Audrey, Miranda and Miranda’s mom, Linda. It was a blessed time and I continue to reflect on it all.

We started the initial planning of the “Connor – Cook” wedding next year. Audrey and I had put together this trip based on wanting to see a “Moth Event” together in Louisville. What we did not realize was that it ended up being exactly a year before the wedding. Which meant I got to see the proposed site of the wedding – Linda’s home which is up on a hill in the farmland of Kentucky. They had selected a large oak tree that they want to be married in front of.

Then Audrey and I went to the lodge in the state park where we will all be staying and we looked at and completed the booking for a room to have the reception in. It is just fun to talk about possibilities and plan for this event. Audrey has been to three weddings of her sisters and I imagine she wondered – certainly I wondered – if we would ever have a wedding for her. And here it is.

I kept having these moment that I will call “awareness of vulnerability.”

It started with the drive down. I drove alone the almost 6 hours to Glasgow – through Cincinnati, through Louisville, mostly on interstates. 60-70 MPH. And for some reason I just kept thinking about what I would do if the car broke down. Far away from home.

Tuesday morning Linda told me that she had heard the news in the middle of the night of the killing of a Kentucky policeman. On the job just looking to check out debris on the highway. And she thinks of her daughter who is a police officer– and now I have this greater awareness of Miranda and the constant risk of her life as a young woman who is patrolling the Parkway in her car alone.

And, then there is wedding arrangements. I go in as the MOB – the mother of the bride and proudly tell Beth, travel planner at the lodge that we are planning a wedding. And then when she asks the name of the bride and the groom there is a distinct pause, a glance between Audrey and I, and the two female names are spoken. It seems to go well and Beth seems happy to work with us.It is only later that Miranda shares that within the last 10 years she knows of a gay man who was beaten to death at this very park.

And I continue to remember and learn that this world is not always a safe place. That we have only so much control over other people’s reactions. We are always vulnerable. Easy to write and to say - but sometimes I am more aware.

But, of course, I write this as a woman of faith. At the same time living in this graced awareness of blessing and serendipity of so many events of my life. And trusting always, in the presence of God who enables us to survive whatever happens in this earthly life.

We plan for the future and pray for traveling mercies for everyone, protection at work for Miranda, and a celebration of the marriage of two beautiful young women next year.

God is good, life is good and we have much to celebrate!

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