There is an old saying, “if you love someone, let them go.” Wendy, our Intern Minister, is leaving us this month, spreading her wings to pursue her vocation in ministry. It’s hard to let go of someone you care about, to let them pursue the next phase of their life. Our life is filled with many “letting gos.” We do it with our children as they graduate and go off to pursue their careers or college; we do it when we let go of a relationship that is no longer working; and we do it when a beloved colleague or mentor moves on to another job. Each time, it’s good to reflect on what we’ve learned from that person in our lives and to give them our love as they leave. And on June 8th, at our Annual Meeting, we will have a chance to do that for Wendy.
But there’s an addition to the saying "If you love someone, let them go” that doesn’t always get mentioned: “If they come back, they're yours. If not, they never were.” Wendy will hopefully be back as she would like to be ordained by this congregation. She loves us as much as we love her. Freedom isn’t just something we have, it’s something we give - especially to those we love.
Rev. Sian Wiltshire is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's minister. Please feel free to reach out and say hello! She can be reached by email, revsian@ocuuc.org, or by church phone at (714) 556-2882 (x302).