Welcome Home

Wow... It's already January 6th. What happened to the time? Christmas has come and gone. Decorations are all packed away, gifts have all been incorporated with the rest of our belongings, New Year's Eve flashed past us, and my 37th birthday tip-toed by.

Lots to cover in a short period of time, but I'll start with this. I'm a little shocked (or maybe not so much) that my last post created quite the stir. I received private emails from several friends who have experienced much the same thing here in Salem (or in Oregon, in general). I figured that we couldn't be alone in feeling this way, but I'm just wondering why isn't anyone talking about this? It's like the forbidden topic. Maybe no one is talking about it because we don't want to cause hurt feelings or feel like we're pointing fingers. (And I suppose now is a good time to say that that is NOT why I wrote that entry. Certainly, I don't want to cause hurt feelings or make anyone feel guilty. Additionally, it isn't that we are completely without friends. Yes, we have friends... My point is simply that "community" is done differently here - and in a way that apparently isn't suited for who we are, in particular.) But I'm just curious how you (if you're one of these people) are dealing with this experience. I mean, if you also feel lonely, excluded, etc. - especially if you've tried to connect - how are you coping? I'd love to get a feel for what you are going through. Sometimes we just need to acknowledge those feelings before we can do anything about it. In some ways it feels as though this is a one-size-fits-all type of place, where, in fact, one size does not fit all. It's just that no one really says anything, so now we have a bunch of disconnected, sad and lonely people running around. It sort of feels like high school in the sense that you have to act a certain way, talk a certain way, live a certain way if you want to gain acceptance into the "popular group." I'll make no apologies for not having any desire whatsoever to be anything other than who I am, and "being popular" doesn't hold the slightest interest for me. It makes me wonder if more people don't also feel this way, but they have caved into the pressure to "be like them". Have you?

So... thank you to those of you who privately and/or publicly acknowledged my last post. I especially want to thank my friend who lovingly goes by Twinkie for the lovely email, and for affirming who I am and confirming that I'm not a complete freak. I remember very well when we first met and we drove each other nuts. But once we learned that we weren't that different, we became pretty darn good friends. Isn't that so often the case? Maybe that's a piece of wisdom we can take with us on this journey; that if you take a little time to get to know a person, maybe you'll find that they are quite lovable just as they are. Personally, I don't want anyone to change just to "fit in." It isn't worth it. Just be who you are, who you truly are; not who you think you should be.

Also, I'd like to acknowledge those of you who told me that my last post made you think. Maybe you agree... maybe you don't... Maybe you didn't know there were people who felt this way... I don't know. Again, I don't write to convict - but I suppose it's good if you feel convicted and motivated to do something about it.

This year is a new opportunity to be welcoming and hospitable. Regardless of how others respond, I will once again offer up our prayer that God would bless our home and make it a place of refuge, joy, acceptance and peace for all who enter in. You are welcome in my home, and I pray that my family and my home will be a blessing to you.