The Gift of Nice

I knew before I moved to the Pacific Northwest that there is a nice factor in the people that live here.  I have been coming to the Portland area for almost 40 years and the little acts of friendliness would always take me by surprise.  Part of that could be said about any place outside of Silicon Valley.  San Jose and its inhabitants are just simply to busy to take time to say Hi.  The Safeway clerks would always ask "How's your day going?" but you knew that was in their job description.  Everyone there is in a hurry.  A hurry to get to work, to do the work, to get home from work.  There was rarely a moment for eye contact or a nod, let alone a conversation.  But here it is the complete opposite.  The hello and how are you doing is authentic and built into the work.  At first it was a conscience effort for me to engage in it.  I did it as a call/response.  When someone started a conversation, I felt obliged to join in.  But the longer I am  here, the more I feel it becoming part of my being.  Every encounter is an opportunity to slow down, to be nice to one another.  There is a gentleness, a feeling of kindness that pervades the environment here.  The relaxed nature that people have stems from the genuine concern they have for one another.  At this time of upheaval in the rest of society, the gift of nice is such a soft place to land.

Grey, the Light Neutral

As I left mass this morning, I was taken with the sky.  Yes, it was grey (and yes, it was raining) but there was a brightness to it that struck me in a new way.  As my transition to the northwest continues, I do not tire of the rain and see beauty around me in ways which the natives do not.  This morning I was struck with the neutrality of the sky and I am a big fan of neutrals.  The clouds come and go and with their movement, the color palette changes.  As the white clouds come in, the sky brightens and with the darker ones, it simply deepens the tones.  I have never been a lover of grey or attracted to it in any way.  But as I move through my first winter, the challenge for me is the absence of light.  These grey skies bring light in ways that the blue skies of California do not.  They are broad and expansive and ever changing.  They encompass the land from east to west across the entire horizon.  As your eyes move about, you realize that there is so much to discover within the grey.  

A Final (for now) Update on Finding a Spiritual Home

I have done it.  I have finally registered at a Catholic Church.  It feels like the great compromise.  But it is also the Holy Spirit at work.  It is not in Portland.  It is not Jesuit.  But it is right.  I have deliberated over this for the entire 6 months I have lived here.  The parishes in Portland felt like a much better fit in terms of diversity, liberal/conservative spectrum, and adult formation.  But I knew that making the 30-40 minute drive every week would keep me from becoming a fully participating member of the community.  And today, in this moment, what I need more than anything else is the sense of community.  I made several visits to the finalists - Holy Redeemer and St. Joseph's in Vancouver and St. Andrew's and St. Ignatius in Portland.  I prayed and prayed and prayed about it.  I talked to anyone who would listen.  I even went to Reconciliation to repent my sin of pride.  And that was probably the final straw.  The priest told me everything I already knew - just do it!  So with the new year came my signature on the dotted line for Holy Redeemer - close enough to walk to which I did this morning.  Yesterday came the affirmation of that decision.  I attended an orientation for St. Vincent de Paul volunteers and was surrounded by my new friends from HR.  They were open and welcoming and even suggested a few groups for me to try out.  So for everyone who told me that I wouldn't find here what I had in San Jose, I say you were right.  There is no SC Mission or St. Martin's or Sacred Heart of Jesus.  But there is a place for me to renew my faith and to continue growing in the love of Jesus.  I open the door to the dawn of what is to be and say Welcome!