Corrine Nunemaker

Fall feels fresh and exciting, a season full of possibilities. School is back in all its forms; families are settling into a new year, new classrooms, and new groups of friends. It can also feel overwhelming, creating struggles to set priorities and find balance in our homes. We also step into church, with great intentions that we’ll show up, we’ll engage, and we’ll be committed to growth in our family and our faith. As quickly as the season starts, we are enveloped with the realities of the new school year — sports schedules, homework, school activities, work, care of family and homes, and then, an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy can sweep over us.

There are families who have not spoken to one another in not just days or weeks, but months, years and even decades. They’ve allowed hurts to fester and grow, as well as create walls and barriers between one another. They have lost out on opportunities to grow together, and to get to know each other’s family. I know an older woman with two sisters; who had not spoken in decades due to past hurts. They finally came together, when one of the sisters was diagnosed with cancer. Walls came down, and their relationships began to heal. There was sadness in the realization that they missed out on many years of being able to get to know one another. Yet, they experienced great joy when they mended fences, rebuilt their relationships, and changed their twilight years.