All Comments By Evelyn Asher

A lovely vision your mother portrayed. You reminded me of how much I pray for myself, even stopping a woman in the grocery store praying with her when I chose to put down yet another item because the cost was astronomical.

I saw the widening clearly in my father. Although I was not allowed to date outside my faith (Jewish), it was my father's acceptance of my one brother's choice (I had three brothers) for wives who were not Jewish and his caregivers that mirrored acceptance with everything to gain from their being in our lives. Being close to my friend's non-Jewish sisters-in-law (2 of them) I learned how much we were alike, how much we loved our families and our communities. Today, after the pandemic, my spiritual leanings are more toward the church that has regular services and a physical structure and people whose company I enjoy because of their interest in the well-being of our community. I also see them in arts community which gives me pleasure and a reason to be with them again.

When I first met a gentle man on the internet he invited me to his home in High Country, NC. Proactive, I applied for jobs at the university but heard nothing back. Five months later when I moved the five hours distance to be with him, I applied using my new address which was just a few miles from the university. The department chair for the position I applied for lived on the same street, albeit at a higher elevation. There were constant opportunities to meet faculty and attend special functions with a partner who appreciated the arts. I contributed to the household, ended up with heavy responsibilities for the community college balancing two locations and having the opportunity to listen to Mozart's Cafe while driving through the clouds. My friend's house though not in turmoil, held challenges with his son leaving incarceration two years later. Thank God for the wonderful writing and poet friends I made that balanced the challenges at home. My house never sold back in GA so the time finally arrived when tenants were out and I could move back in. What helps me see gold in every experience comes lately when I ask God, "Help me" I add Help Others - help me help others. Smiles on others' faces, allowing me to be in their company and lend a helping hand or just listen is the gold in each experience.

This is a beautiful way of calming the mind, leaving concerns at the door, and being wholly present. That could read "holy present." I sense the energy of the collective you describe and fortunately have shared similar experiences. The pandemic has significantly lowered the number of opportunities to experience this locally. However, I find immense solace in striving for deeper understanding, peace and harmony through engagement in ServiceSpace.