Dear friends,
What year is it now? Oh, yeah, it’s sometime late in year two of covidtide. Sure, the sun comes up and the world still spins, but time is out of joint. But the whirling of the planets brings us ‘round to the longest nights, and, now again to Christmas. And so happy Christmas from northern Virginia where, because it’s not just time that is out of joint, it’ll be about 70 degrees on Christmas day.
Despite all the collective loss and grief of this strange season, we’ve found a good deal to celebrate in our small corner of the world. Even in dark days, we find sparks of joy that brighten the place where we are. For most of us, most of the time, that is the best we can do. So we offer our best, and share a few sparks of joy.
Hannah graduated from UVA back in May! Because the time is out of joint, I posted lots of pics from graduation hashtagged “Class of 2020.” D’oh. We’re proud of how Hannah made her way through the final 15 months of college in the midst of the pandemic, and our whole crew gathered in a big house at the edge of the Shenandoah National Forest to celebrate graduation weekend. After getting her piece of paper – “an unusually large diploma” she called it – Hannah moved with friends to Raleigh, where she’s been tutoring and working in a garden store. It took several months of job hunting before those two opportunities popped up. That turned out great, though, as it gave her the opportunity for one more brief stint on the staff at Camp Hanover. After several summers as high ropes coordinator (among other responsibilities) she got the chance to be counselor to a couple of groups of middle school kids for an exhausting, wonderful two weeks in August. As anyone who has ever been a camp counselor knows, a couple of weeks can be revelatory and transformative. Of course, revelation and transformation unfold over many seasons, so check back in with us same time next year to see what’s unfolding with the girl child.
This time last year, middle child was experiencing the unfortunate revelation that his case of covid was a long-haul one. Martin struggled mightily with the long-term effects of the disease through the first half of 2021. Even now, certain weather combined with too much exertion can be exhausting for him. (Consider this one more reminder that covid is all too real, and we should all get the damn shots.) In spite of the health struggles, Martin and Delanie had remarkable years. They continued to set up house with their collection of cats, books, music, and art in a cute elderly bungalow in Richmond. From there, they each launched new jobs. This fall, Martin became the teen librarian for the Central Rappahannock Regional Library in Fredericksburg. The job suits him well, and the institution seems well run with strong leadership. The commute is a bear, but worth it for at least the next while. Delanie, on the other hand, traded up in terms of commute (and many other aspects of work) by moving to the Maggie Walker Governor’s School in Richmond to continue her career as an art teacher. The work there is part time, which gives her more time to create and market her own art. You can follow her on Instagram, where you can also catch clips of Martin’s music and see pictures of the beautiful guitars he is building.
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| Delanie & Ollie and the mural she created for Baby Sister's room |
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| While Monica and Mimi cook, Bud and Ollie ham it up for the camera |
Meanwhile, out in Reston, Bud’s part of the family is about to get a bit bigger. When the crew sat down together for our first dinner at last spring’s graduation celebration, Bud and Monica shared the news that Oliver is going to be a big brother come January. Baby Sister, as the new little one is currently known, should make her grand entrance on the stage of life sometime around King Day. Blissfully unaware of the life transformation just ahead of him, Oliver is a delightful toddler busily soaking up language and spreading smiles wherever he goes. Objectively speaking, as grandparents, we’re pretty sure he’s the most adorable kid ever. His dad and mom are pretty grand, too. One of the deepest joys of parenting, it turns out, is watching your own child become a parent and thrive in that role. Most of life for Bud and Monica centers, of course, on that role, but each of them has continued in other roles, as well. Bud’s software engineer work continues to grow with Viget, and it seems to be keeping him engaged. From the outside, at least, the company seems like an excellent tech firm that values its staff and treats them well. Monica continues her work as training coordinator and office manager for Heeling House, a nonprofit that works with special needs children through interactions with animals, mostly dogs. Given her great gifts with both kids and dogs, it’s been an excellent match for her.
Everything has its seasons, and, as parents of adult kids now, we’re in the season that allows for the writing of a Christmas missive on Christmas morning. Coffee is on the counter. Cookies are in the cupboard. Lights shine from the tree and a living room lit with candles. Cheryl, of course, is bustling around.
She keeps busy no matter what is going on in the wider world, and her work at “her little library” has barely skipped a beat
I got back into a bit of distance running during the year, culminating in running the Richmond half marathon this fall. Alas, a herniated disc and resulting sciatic pain, have slowed me considerably since November. That’s been a literal pain in the butt, and also particularly irritating because I actually have more unscheduled time these days than I’ve had in many decades. My interim work out in Burke concluded at the end of September, and I’ve been funemployed ever since. I’ve heard colleagues rave about sabbaticals for years, and now I understand. I do wish, however, that mine was paid. Oh, well. As Cheryl continuously reminds me, the sweat equity that I’ve been putting into our Arlington house is the income for this season. I have thoroughly enjoyed the hours of creative and physical labor involved in constructing a new fence for the back yard and renovating the attic space.
The hiatus from church work is coming, if not to a close at least to a pause. I’m picking up a bit of work subbing for a colleague who will have surgery next month. After that, who knows?
Work for me may be centered in Richmond. Among the celebrations of 2021 for us has to be the completion of the interior renovation of our house in Richmond. Our family of choice will, in stages, begin living there next year. Cheryl’s new telework options seem likely to make it possible for her to be there at least half time. Clark and Mike are likely to make the move in late spring/early summer, and I’m completely up in the air.
Up in the air seems like a pretty decent description of the past 20 months. There is, of course, something in the air these days. The virus is awful, so stay safe and keep others safe to the best of your ability. But something else is up in the air, as well. Deep, profound, and lasting changes in social, political, and economic orders often come in the wake of major catastrophe. We are living through just such a catastrophic moment, and I see signs that such change is beginning to happen. History does not unfold in a straight line, and what comes next is not written in the stars. It is ours to join in the making.
My faith tells me that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. I believe that when we do the work of love the arc bends the whole world around. Wherever life and work takes us next, we’ll lean into that work trusting that, even now, a light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall not overcome it.
Friends, here’s to the light and living in it in the days to come.
Merry Christmas!
