It's time to get back to things that matter

By Pastor Sue Bahleda

Island of Faith Lutheran Church

I like words with opposite meanings, like “trim.”

One meaning is about eliminating unnecessary bits, like trimming fat from a steak.

An opposite meaning is to decorate, like trimming a Christmas tree, which may include adding all kinds of unnecessary bits, depending on who you ask. (The toilet-paper-roll Santa that I made in kindergarten, in all its tattered and battered splendor, is NOT unnecessary.)

I’ve been thinking for some time about the words “used to.” It can mean something you did in the past but don’t do any longer. It can also mean doing something regularly, so that it becomes a habit.

Getting “used to” something takes energy and effort. Waking up at 6 a.m. to go on a morning run. Learning the brakes of a new-to-you car. Riding a bike without training wheels. Wearing high heels. Looking through a microscope. Taking your insulin. Getting used to something takes attention, time, commitment and practice.

There are some things people get used to, but it’s better when they stop. Some used to smoke. Some used to drink too much. Some used to hit “Buy it Now” on eBay too often. Not doing those things any longer also takes energy, practice and attention.

But there are some things that just slip away, that we let get out of habit and before we know it, things that mattered become things we used to do.

COVID broke into many of those habits, and they are hard to get back. Did you used to belong to a community organization? Did you used to go to game night, or play cards with a group? Did you belong to a book club or a sewing circle? Did you work on trails, or tend a community garden bed? Did you used to attend a worship service?

It's a vibrant and busy time in Wrangell. Maybe now is the time to rediscover activities that you used to do, to add some sparkle and purpose to your life. Get used to it.