Religious Education Update: September 28, 2008
Helping Our UU Children in Tough Times
Lately, it’s been difficult to read my daily newspapers without feeling that everything in my world is headed into an enormous disaster. What if our state doesn’t figure out how to adopt a responsible budget? What if my candidate isn’t elected as US President? What if we don’t figure out a way to save our environment? Closer to home, I worry when I hear about UUP families that are dealing with financial, relationship or health concerns.
What can we do, as a community, to support our children and youth in these tough times? Giving this support is complicated by the fact that we UU’s value our fierce independence. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.”
One way for families to support their children and youth is to involve them in religious community, particularly with ritual and social events. At UUP, we have annual rituals such as Water and Stones, Day of the Dead and Stone Soup that embrace all of us in community. We have social events, such as potlucks and parties that help us get to know each better and reach out in friendship. But even making the time to come to UUP on Sunday mornings can be a family ritual, and certainly “showing up” is necessary to build the connections that support us in facing tough times.
Another way to offer support is to truly listen. Asking, “How are you?” can be more than just good manners, it can be opening one’s heart to hearing each others' troubles. Often, just knowing that others care can be a huge comfort in facing challenges with hope and courage. Perhaps even harder may be to ask for help. Many of us would prefer to be as independent as Thoreau, but asking UUP friends for tea and sympathy, lunch or a walk may speed the healing. Receiving help ourselves may help us to support our kids. Let’s all be there for one another.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
Lately, it’s been difficult to read my daily newspapers without feeling that everything in my world is headed into an enormous disaster. What if our state doesn’t figure out how to adopt a responsible budget? What if my candidate isn’t elected as US President? What if we don’t figure out a way to save our environment? Closer to home, I worry when I hear about UUP families that are dealing with financial, relationship or health concerns.
What can we do, as a community, to support our children and youth in these tough times? Giving this support is complicated by the fact that we UU’s value our fierce independence. As Henry David Thoreau once said, “If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life.”
One way for families to support their children and youth is to involve them in religious community, particularly with ritual and social events. At UUP, we have annual rituals such as Water and Stones, Day of the Dead and Stone Soup that embrace all of us in community. We have social events, such as potlucks and parties that help us get to know each better and reach out in friendship. But even making the time to come to UUP on Sunday mornings can be a family ritual, and certainly “showing up” is necessary to build the connections that support us in facing tough times.
Another way to offer support is to truly listen. Asking, “How are you?” can be more than just good manners, it can be opening one’s heart to hearing each others' troubles. Often, just knowing that others care can be a huge comfort in facing challenges with hope and courage. Perhaps even harder may be to ask for help. Many of us would prefer to be as independent as Thoreau, but asking UUP friends for tea and sympathy, lunch or a walk may speed the healing. Receiving help ourselves may help us to support our kids. Let’s all be there for one another.
Marlene Abel
Director of Religious Education
posted by Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma @ 6:32 AM
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