contemplative

I like this one because obviously some kid made those bracelets for him and he's wearing them, because that's what decent human beings do for the kids in our lives. We hold onto their art and we wear the jewelry they make for us. For a day I went around in a plastic beaded necklace that my daughter made for me, but I didn't wear it long enough. One of my regrets as a parent.

I finally went to church, and I liked it. I hope it's not because this is my new "fad", my new "thing," joining the Episcopalian Church. I hope this one has staying power.

I did like it, for all the reasons I thought I would and for some reasons I didn't expect. I liked the ritual of it. I liked that Father Rol looked at me and said, "I don't know you. What's your name?" I liked that people said "peace to you" and it felt like they really meant it. I liked how at the end they had us turn and "face the world again." I liked communion ( they do it every Sunday, at the rail, with REAL wine) and I liked that people went to get their kids from the nursery for communion and the old retired smiling priest told the two-year-old in front of me to "eat your cookie." I liked the bells afterward. I liked that a kid kicked a soccer ball down the aisle to make an announcement about a donation. I liked that all the money I gave that day was going to Boulder County AIDS Awareness. I liked the old gothic building (1909) and the weird looking sculptures below the big stained glass window, because it reminded me of a church in England with the creepiest Holy Family I've ever seen. I liked that they named all the guys in the War who are from the church in prayers. I liked that in two weeks they're having blessing of the animals for St. Christopher (yes, you bring your dog right in the chapel) and I like that my kids can bring in their favorite stuffed animals, too. I liked that I felt a bit chilly in the old stone building.

I was transported, if not to God, then at least somewhere else for awhile, out of the real world, and that is the point, after all.

The only thing I didn't like was that it ran over 90 minutes. I didn't think of it at the time, but I was raised that church is an hour. I dunno, they got a lot to get through, all that kneeling and praying and stuff. I don't see it ever lasting just an hour. I don't know that quibbling over something like that is worthwhile, either.

Next week we'll see how the family likes it. I think the husband will like it, actually. We'll see.

I am still working heavily within Sentinel, and it's exciting to take it to a new level. I had to write a scene from scratch today, and it just flowed--but for different reasons than when I started the book. I knew the goals of the characters; I knew what they were thinking and why they said what they said and why they didn't say other things. It's a final scene between Kaelin and his father, in which Kaelin doesn't know it's goodbye, but Jacob (the dad) does. Totally choked me up. Perhaps I'll post it tomorrow.