It is human nature that questions may arise or opinions may be shared about this choice I’ve made from those whose help I seek. I welcome those questions and will use them to process my own thoughts as I do this.
In answering one such question from someone who has known me their entire life, I reflected on my own childhood. On the circumstances that led to my adoption and what if those circumstances were different? So much about who I could become was decided in the very moment I was born. I believe this is true for all of us. Sure, some of us are more innately capable than others, but all of us are not given the same opportunity to develop those capacities.
I was raised Roman Catholic, but I am not religious. The amount of bad that is done in the name of religion is simply too horrifying and mind-blowing. I was a parochial school kid. I grew up going to mass with my classmates on Friday morning before school began and with my family on every Sunday or holy day of obligation. Mom always covered her hair with a veil, while Dad always wore a tie. I sang in the choir and danced around the May pole. My brother was an alter boy. I still remember my first grade teacher telling the class “when you sing, you pray twice.”
As the years passed, I watched over and over as adults behaved one way in that beautiful building, but in a very different way as they exited the door. The behavior simply did not reflect an example of the sermons I just heard or the things I learned in my Tuesday morning religion class.
Not being religious does not mean that I don’t believe in a higher power. It simply means that I don’t believe this higher power wants me to pray and sing to him. I don’t think that is the point. I think the point is to be a good human – not out of fear of whatever might exist in the afterlife — just because. I think I’m expected to show my kids and grandkids how to be good people and how to care about someone other than themselves.
That is what I hope to do.
Will you help? There are lots of ways to donate, but know that all monies no matter how they are received will be used for beds and mattresses and supplies for the shelter. To make your donations tax deductible, you can make them through Volunteer Housing Initiative. You will have the opportunity to add a comment to tell them you want your funds to go toward this effort. Or, you can donate directly to me via Venmo to @MtgMistress or by PayPal through this site.