| TTFN
In Winnie the Pooh by AA Milne, the bouncy and beloved Tigger character immortalized a phrase originating in the UK during the Second World War: “TTFN,” meaning “ta-ta for now.” It’s an informal and playful way to say farewell.
Beloveds, this is my final newsletter article to you. My contract concludes at the end of this month, and I will be taking vacation time beginning July 14 through July 31 (broken only by my final weekend with you all, in person July 18-19!). During my vacation time, the Board can reach me for emergencies. Starting now and continuing over the next few weeks, I will be closing down our social media connections, removing myself from admin positions and gently disentangling myself from various UUFS spaces, including relinquishing all Facebook Friend connections, all of which is SOP when a minister leaves a congregation. This allows purposeful, thoughtful time for the necessary separation to sink in, to let the roots of our transplanting selves grow in new and healthy directions at the conclusion of a ministry. I will be going through the directory one last time to reach out and see how each of you are doing in the next 2 weeks. If you’d like a pastoral care or spiritual sounding board appointment with me, schedule it with me to happen before July 14 (email or text me right now, while you’re thinking of it!).
This year serving with you has been a delight, a challenge and a blessing. YOU are a delight, a challenge, and a blessing. And while the delight is lovely, I hope you remember that facing the challenges together is what makes the loveliness worthwhile... And the blessing encompasses all. At the end of the month Elaine will be updating the directory to remove me. Starting August 1, UUFS and I will enter a period of no contact, though that doesn't mean you're without resources, without support, without love and care and capacity, and the knowledge and experience you need to do to get you through to doing the next right thing. My faith in – and love for! – you will not expire just because our contract does. We are ever journeyers together on this beautiful Blue Boat Home, though we may occupy different spaces for a time. Our time together has indelibly marked our histories, so we are part of each others’ stories now. And I couldn’t. Be. More. Grateful. I look forward to the time when our paths may cross again in the future, since I will be metaphorically just down the road, serving the Southern Region fully starting August 1.
I will offer you the shortest, best prayer I know: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
In love, in faith, in play, and in becoming,
Rev. Samara
Samara Powers (they/none)
Unitarian Universalist Minister
UUFS Phone#: 912.208.9917 (Option 2)
"Justice is what love looks like in public." Dr. Cornel West
*Generally, if someone indicates “none” here it means to use a name instead of a pronoun for that person. For example, “Fenwick wants you to refer to Fenwick by name instead of using any pronouns when speaking about Fenwick.” If someone indicates more than one type of pronouns choice here, usually that means either way is suitable/welcomed.
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