Last summer, I wrote a goodbye letter to our interim minister, Rev. Margret A O’Neall. I said not to worry about saying goodbye to Margret because a part of her will always be with our congregation and the transformation we went through with her. What I failed to mention was how this congregation will also always be with Margret after she left, and now with me as I prepare to leave for my next adventure.

Tangibly, I have many keepsakes from my two and half years with UU Schenectady. I still have yarn around my wrist from the youth con our youth group so splendidly planned and led last spring. I have quite a few arts and crafts projects that have been generously gifted to me from coloring pictures to a playdoh chalice. I have my flower crown that I wore many times both to service and around my office as an expression of joy and a way to bring joy into my life on stressful days.

Of course, my favorite keepsakes are not tangible. Sitting with the children and youth during our first holiday pageant together, preaching with Margret and coming out to the congregation about my sexuality and my anxiety, joyously dancing with Rev. Lynn and Rev. Wendy after calling them to serve this congregation are all happily imprinted in my mind. I could never forget all that UU Schenectady has given me.

More than beautiful memories, UU Schenectady gave me a future. I had not been a professional religious educator before this opportunity. I had served as a religious education intern at my home congregation, slightly branching out in the comfort of familiarity. Then I came here and learned how far reaching religious education truly is. Everything we do is religious education, from the explicit curriculum in the classroom to modeling behavior for all the members of our community, and so much more.

I used to joke that my job as a religious educator was saving the world, except it wasn’t a joke. I wanted to be a part of teaching love, empathy, kindness, and curiosity not just to children and youth but all those who wanted to learn. If we have more kind, loving, justice seeking, questioning people in the world, I would say, won’t the world be a better place? Isn’t that how we can save the world?

The last memory I will share is one of my favorites from our Coming of Age class. The youth were posed with a dichotomy: is it better to save the world or save yourself? Of course, the youth were frustrated with this question and they were right to be. It’s not either/or; it’s both/and. As we save ourselves from toxic masculinity, from white supremacy culture, from internalized misogyny, and hold each other accountable, as we support one another on a search for truth and meaning, slowly but surely, we will save the world. If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t have taken the risk to move away from my family and friends to be a part of the work of this congregation. And if this congregation didn’t prove my belief right, that we can do this work and there are people in the world committed to doing this work, then I wouldn’t have the courage or strength to move on again. I can never repay or express my gratitude enough. Thank you, Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady. Thank you.