Spiritual Life blog February 6, 2019

Life calls us in some moments to more deeply search our hearts. At USH there are people who will witness our journey with love. This past Saturday I had 3 experiences that caused me to look back at my own history and that of my family in a deep way. These raised spiritual questions on which I am still reflecting: Who am I really? What is the meaning of my life? Am I living from my best self? 1) Beloved Conversations took me back to my experiences and my family’s with race relations. In a 1834 Will my great, great, great grandfather had slaves to be sold as “negro stock” and also provided for a “free woman of colour and her son” residing with him to receive assets from his estate at his death. I assume the young man was his son. My father and mother chose not to share much of their southern views on race as having moved from TN to Baltimore, which they regarded as “the north”. They thought they’d make it easier for me. They did. Long after, in her last 16 years, removed from her southern environment by moving to CT, my mom became very close friends with a Jamaican woman who then spoke at mom’s memorial service at USH. How do I carry their gift of growing openness to all humanity forward?  2) Talking to USH member Tom Gervais, I thought of my years in Spiritual Direction training and as a spiritual director. Is this something I want to start to do again? 3) At Theater Works’ play “The Doll House-part 2,” I recalled my own decision to divorce my husband and leave our young children with him. I thought of all the pain of those choices and the consequences for everyone. Is there more healing work to do there?  Thank you, USH, for witnessing my spiritual journey in love. -Marye Gail Harrison, Chair Spiritual Life, USH Board of Directors