We are Family!

Petals have fallen
from the rose,
Revealing the seed
of the Spirit.

Well, my friends, here is where my tale starts to get interesting. This is why for now I am using a pseudonym. I am not looking for pity or sympathy, as this is now all in the past.
We left off with us as bright young teenagers, yearning to make a difference. We got married, got jobs, I got my bachelor's degree, and we started raising our family. Our church attendance fell away, with all the demands of daily life.
An interesting thing happened, though, when we started looking for a house for our growing family. We looked all over the Lower Mainland, and offers on two houses fell through. The house we finally bought was close to a nice elementary school. So our daughter entered grade 3 there, and wonder of wonders, the music teacher was an old friend from church! Coincidence? Some say there is no such thing. So I kept this small miracle in my heart. Someone still had plans for me.
All was not well in paradise, however. Something was happening to my spouse and to our marriage. The worst part was, I could not see just how bad it was getting.
Then my father died. It was a great blow, because he had never been able to overcome his alcoholism, and his life had seemed so empty.
Two days after he died, I found out I was pregnant with my 3rd child. There was a ray of hope for the future. But my husband did not want this baby - he wanted me to have an abortion. I refused, and he left us for a few months, returning when the baby was born. He still wasn't happy, and I fell into post-partum depression. It finally got so bad I knew I had to do something and get help. I had lost all sense of self-worth and self respect. I had lost my "joy" even in living, or in my children.
Fortunately, I was able to get some great counselling. I started doing some volunteer work, which really helped me start to put myself back together. However, I knew that I also had to get back to church.
We had a new priest, so I decided to check him out. Our second child was turning 7, which was the perfect time to come back. I started serving again, and found that a regular server was needed for the weekday service. This, I could do. I had found a purpose. I was needed and appreciated. My joy started to return. Rev. Kientzler knew that I was getting itchy feet just being a housewife, and when the post of secretary came up on the Board, he asked if I would be interested.
I had been on the Board for about a year when we suddenly found ourselves without an active priest. The Delegates' Conference was coming up, and it was suggested I go. Me?? I had never even visited another congregation up to this point. And my husband said I could only go if I took the boys and the dog with me...(now that I've actually done that, he's upset, but we'll save that for next time).
I, however, was on a mission. I knew there had to be an answer to our prayers for another priest. Perhaps going to the conference would help.
Well, there I was. All alone and far from home, I did actually get homesick, but that was okay.
After awhile, though, I started to get the hang of things, and everyone was very friendly. Then it hit me: this wasn't just a conference, it was like a big family reunion! That was when I knew for sure I had found my spiritual home. I came back home all fired up, bursting with everything that I had heard, and felt and thought. I felt like I was tingling all the way home on the airplane.
There was hope and purpose and vision. There was something to work towards, and someone to work with. Most of all there was great joy.
Anyone familiar with eastern philosophy knows, however, that where there is joy there is also sorrow, yin and yang, good and bad, darkness and light. And it was all going to hit like a bomb blast...