“When the going gets tough, the tough reinvent.” – RuPaul

And reinvent we have in a time that has challenged our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits. I am trying to be patient, to be mindful, to be careful, to be thoughtful, to be healthy. And, honestly, I am weary of it. I want to meet in person; I want to go hang out with my brother and sister-in-law in California; I want to go see our son and his wife and our grandchildren in New York; I want to take a road trip and stay in hotels and eat in restaurants without weighing risk; I want to throw a block party. Instead, I reinvent connection: FaceTime, drawing pictures and sending them snail mail, texting jokes and riddles, cooking dinner and picnicking on the deck, drinking coffee 6 feet apart with a friend, online yoga, online workouts, power walking up two steep hills to work out the worry, Zooming into Movie Meetup group, Sunday morning worship on Zoom, and some of the other great connecting opportunities TUUC is providing. Grief, compassion, gratitude, and yes, laughter, joy, curiosity, enthusiasm: all those emotions ring true for me.

Most of all however, when I sift out all the stuff, I want to stay healthy so I can go see our East Coast family and our California family (even our Bainbridge Island family) – when the time is right. And we want our congregation to stay healthy so we can all
gather together, worship together, sing together, drink coffee together, and even share a meal together again in our building. I will give up watching the hummingbirds zooming into the feeders to join together in church – when the time is right.

Earlier this week everyone on the church email list received a message urging you to use best practices for church-sponsored gatherings. We want people to stay healthy. Tacoma and Pierce County are in Phase 2 which suggests a maximum of 5 people for an in-person gathering, all keeping socially distant, all wearing masks. TUUC is asking that all church-sponsored groups meet virtually for everyone’s safety. Any group needing a Zoom room or technology support can contact Church Administrator, Libby Ball at Admin@TahomaUU.com. We know that emotional sustenance is as crucial as physical sustenance. We know that many have challenges with technology. (Our home has a very unstable internet connection and two dogs who bark!) We absolutely support getting together. We just want people to take care of themselves and others, which right now means we are asking groups to use an online platform. Is this ideal? No. Is it thoughtful care-taking? Yes.

I am dazzled every day by the pivots I read about and notice: inside dining to patio dining, individual musical performances stitched together to make a concert, making chocolate chip cookies together via FaceTime, enjoying a walk through Heronswood Garden with Dan Hinkley using his iPhone, narrated beach walks via Facebook Live, SFJazz performances online…and the list goes on. Everyday I look for new and safe experiences and I invite you to do the same. Life hasn’t stopped, it’s just been reinvented. And the  compassion, generosity, and creativity that I see and read about everyday as we navigate our ways through the unknowns is inspiring.

The Board of Trustees is so grateful for the continued support of this congregation as we keep trying to do the work of the church. We are all here for you to support you. Connect with us or a member of the staff if you need any kind of boost or know someone who does. Connection is only a telephone call or a hand-written card away. Be bold and reinvent with us.

With great care and respect,

Cindy Hackett

President, TUUC Board of Trustees