Dear TUUC Community,
It is with very mixed emotions that I announce my retirement from my position as your Director of Religious Exploration for Children and Youth effective the end of this month. There is so much about this job that I love! Being part of an effort to create and support programming and community-building for children and youth within the context of a liberal religious congregation has been fun, exciting, sometimes challenging, and always a joy. To participate in and witness the spiritual growth and development of our youngest members has been a great privilege. I believe it to be extremely important and valuable work so it is not without a fair amount of sadness that I take my leave.
That being said, I am very much looking forward to entering this next stage of my life. Retirement!!! While I have always looked forward to this day, the past few years have served up some lessons that have helped me realize that this is the right time to move into whatever comes next for me. Covid restrictions and health challenges, both mine and those of loved ones, have been good reminders that one doesn’t want to wait too long to tackle some of those “bucket-list” dreams. I am excited about the possibilities!
What comes next for me is unfolding. I have already made plans to participate in a Sierra Club service trip to Chaco Canyon (New Mexico) in June and a home-building/rehab project in Portugal in November. In between, I imagine there will be lots of time for camping, kayaking, hiking, and reading. I might finally get the dandelions out of my yard. And, of course, time with my family, especially my granddaughter, is high on my list.
I also see a future that includes a connection to TUUC. While I won’t be a paid staff member, I love this community and see lots of ways I would like to stay involved. It will be important for me, however, to step away for a while to allow me to create some distance from my professional life at TUUC and to allow whoever steps into the role of TUUC’s religious educator to establish their own identity within the congregation.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for allowing me to serve as your DRE for these past 4½ years. The experience has been a true blessing in my life and I will forever be grateful.
With much love,
Nancy