Greetings One and All,
It is nice to have a chance to sit and write — October was good, but very full! As we put the garden beds to rest, I am thinking of the invitation that longer nights and colder weather offers, to gather with folks we care about and to deepen our points of connection with each other, with ourselves, and with God. As the Brood enters its third year, I am amazed at the depth of relationship we are cultivating and the many ways that God shows up in our community, through all manner of lived experience. I invite you, whether you’ve come to every Brood event or none at all, to join us for a chili dinner on Friday, November 17th, to meet other people who “get it” and to continue to create spaces and times for our families to connect.
At a recent retreat I attended, one participant offered to me the simple phrase “good enough is good to God.” It’s been a gift to me, to realize and remind myself that while we can’t heal a broken child welfare system overnight, or be the biggest and best and farthest reaching group of our kind, what we are doing together as The Brood matters. It matters that people feel included when they join us. It matters that kids (many of whom have difficult early life experiences) get to be surrounded by other kids with overlapping stories, and by adults who really, truly care. It matters that while we can’t do it all or be it all, we can be a community that walks in the way of love, with God’s help. Here are some offerings from The Brood this month:
Virtual Book Club with Encompass Adoptees takes place tomorrow from 11:30-12:30. We are currently reading “Twenty Things Adopted Children Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew.” It’s an accessible, powerful book. We will be covering the fifth and sixth chapters this month, but all are welcome regardless of whether you’ve read ahead of time or not. The Zoom link will be sent the morning of the group.
Our support group will meet on Wednesday, November 15th from 8-9pm. It’s an informal conversation and all are welcome. A training certificate is always provided to those who participate and a link will be sent out that morning.
Finally, as I mentioned earlier, we are trying a new monthly gathering format since the temperatures have dropped. We’ll be piloting Family Fridays at Calvary Episcopal Church in Clifton. Join us on Friday, November 17th from 6:00-7:30pm for a potluck dinner, games, and a simple gratitude activity for all ages. Please RSVP to me at olivia@calvaryclifton.org to sign your family up. We hope these monthly gatherings will allow us to lean into the warmth of community and the blessing of our wonderful support network. All are welcome.
Yours,
Reverend Olivia
