2023 Year in Review

I’ve been wanting to sit down and write some sort of review of the last year and vision for 2024, but I haven’t been able to conjure up any real profound thoughts. As I’ve started writing it seems there was an unspoken theme to the last year, and that theme was connection. So here’s what 2023 held…

Our year was filled with amazing travels. I went to Florida with Ellen to go see Lee, Ron, Charlie and Celeese and Mom and Dad. Best memory from that trip is sitting in a hotel w/Lee and El in Sarasota laughing until we were all crying as we showed each other ridiculous reels on social media.  Italy with Sean, Megan and others was so rich it’s hard to share just one or two things. But cooking class making the best spaghetti noodles and tastiest sauce, bruschetta and tiramisu was probably the highlight. A close second would be the smaller towns of Perugia and Assisi. I’d love to return and explore them further along with southern Italy - and stay a bit longer! Kim went with his sister Lois to PA to visit Sarah and family while we were in Italy. He was able to show Lois some of the places we’d seen the previous year, and Lois hadn’t seen the Saturno’s in quite a while. My trip to PA to see Sarah and family in early December did not disappoint. Rilo at 14 is still the loving and silly kid he’s always been. He’s a good hugger like his uncle Sean and he’s close to being taller than me. Rocco at 7 is talkative and energetic and at the same time loves being creative…painting pottery, reading, drawing and doing Legos. Rocco will celebrate his 2nd/8th birthday this year on his Leap Day birthday. Vito was in the shy/I want to be with you but won’t act like it phase this trip. He talks up a storm and loves imaginative play (oh and of course they all love their screen time as well, who doesn’t?!)  I also finally got to see the McSweeney family (minus Chris) while in PA! It had been WAY too long since I’d seen Sammy and I got to meet her 4th babe, Stella.

Our year was also filled with many times of sweet community with our friends and family. The (Alex/Britt) VanMeter’s and Saturno’s both visited in June and Lee and Ron came for their annual visit in July. An additional four adults and seven kids made for some crazy times, but they are all such good parents and it shows in their kids. Hiking, pool time, games, wine tasting and all sorts of shenanigans filled their time here. Uncle Kim enjoyed giving rides on his scooter to the kids! Lee and Ron calmed things down a bit for us, and it was nice to host a party so they could connect with many friends not seen in a while.  

So many evenings filled with our good friends, Dave and Karen Jensen, sharing dinner, sitting around the fire outside, watching sports games on tv, drinking wine and enjoying the life God has blessed us all with. They took me on many an adventure - from paddle boarding to Christmas tree hunting. I’m so thankful for them sharing their lives with us as well as helping in huge, very tangible ways with vet and doctor visits, running me on errands, keeping us in a good supply of firewood, and simply being really good friends. Megan’s dad Mark and his partner Marie have also been great friends to us. They are family. They traveled to Italy with the group as well, always make sure Kim is cared for when I’m away, and they’ve joined us in our house church. We are so very blessed by such good friends and family. 

Our house church grew and each time we meet is meaningful and rich. We’re up to seventeen people when everyone shows up. Simply reading and discussing scripture, occasionally listening to a sermon I’ve found, singing, praying and sharing communion together always makes for a rich time of worship and community. It continues to provide me with a meaningful way to satisfy my passion and call to ministry using my gifts and providing a safe place for questions, doubts and discussion to happen and transformation to take place. Continuing to be transformed, to become more Christ-like, and loving well is always the goal.  It has truly been a gift to us all for a myriad of reasons, and for our situation really fits the bill for what we can do realistically. Many in our group are on one of many teams paired with an Afghan family that immigrated here after escaping Afghanistan. We also serve together feeding college students a couple times a year and being a part of a team for the Sharefest weekend in the springs. I’ve also kept my toes dipped in the ministries at FPCGJ. I helped a few times with the youth group this fall, was on the women’s ministry planning team, and helped plan and lead the Blue Christmas service this December. I also helped preside over communion this summer when the FPCGJ pastor was on sabbatical. It’s been energizing to hang out with young people, continue to connect with other - mostly younger women, and help the church and community acknowledge that the holidays always happy for everyone and provide some ways to be in that space and be ok. 

I celebrated my 60th birthday last year in probably the most meaningful way I ever have. I had read the book The Art of Gathering, and it provided a number of ideas to make gatherings bring about more connection and meaning. I invited those people who bring out the best in me and asked each one to give a toast to “being disrupted” - whatever that meant to them. They  shared a story or something that was a disruption in their life. After telling the story/identifying the disruption, we all toasted it. To add some motivation they were informed that the last person had to sing their toast!  We had about 18 or so people and the stories were each unique, rich, sometimes poignant, sometimes funny and all of them absolutely amazing. The last person was the most introverted and quiet of the group and he ended it all by “disrupting the party” and broke into song leading the group in singing happy birthday to me. I can tell you, it was the best party ever and I guarantee we’ll be doing it again. I’m just now having thoughts about how we could incorporate toasting into our time of worship, asking people to share something around their faith life or experience of God. I’ll report back next year!

In August I connected with the CO Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and started the process to get some help because of my low vision. After a lengthy assessment my trainer Garrett drove over from the front range monthly and then every two weeks to give me training. We started with my workspace and lighting, technological needs, kitchen and everyday living helps (raised stickers to put on appliances so I don’t have to search for the right button to push!), and mobility training. I started white cane training in September and just “graduated” in November by making a loop downtown with a blindfold on. I could write pages and pages about what I learned, but suffice it to say that it was multitasking on steroids and one of the more stressful trainings I’ve ever done. I continue to use Jane the Cane whenever I leave the house. She not only helps me know when tripping hazards exist but she lets other people know that I can’t see well and probably need some extra care as I’m being led through the low lit restaurant, etc..

Kim has been so very loving and supportive as I’ve mentally struggled to release my ego and pride and start sliding into acceptance as someone who can’t do everything she used to do and actually does need help with some things. Not easy for this independent girl. I started going to a therapist to help me with all of this as well as to work on stuff I’ve very efficiently stuffed under the surface for way too long. Dealing with ourselves is not for the faint of heart!

As the year comes to a close we’ve managed to stay healthy while many others have not. We’re grateful for gifts like that that we sometimes take for granted. Kim struggles in the extremes of weather, be it real hot or real cold, so this time of year can be hard for him. I try to get out to walk and to swim as often as I can and the fresh air and dopamine from activity help me to deal with all the stresses. Kim doesn’t have that luxury in the winter - although summer time our yard looks amazing because of his constant care. He continues to greet the many walkers and their dogs as they stop and chat on their way to the park. (When I distributed block party invitations this fall no one knew who I was, but they lit up when I said I was Kim’s wife! Lol!) 

My work at Rocky Mtn. Health Plans/United Healthcare continues. I’m becoming more knowledgeable about mental health issues, challenges it brings, and the many agencies in our communities that work to help families with kids who are struggling with mental illness. My heart can get heavy sometimes working with these families. But other times I can feel really great about how our team has helped empower families and given clients tools to help them work through the issues they face. Tough stuff. 

But God has provided us with the strength, the faith and the hope to believe that we can make a difference in the lives of other people - and I have witnessed amazing healing and transformation (in clients, in our team, in our community).

We continue to have hope for better days to come. While our situations may not change, we have been given the gift to spread love and spread light. We can be illuminators in this sometimes dark world and bring light to places and situations where it has been diminishing. Our prayer is that you will join us in being ILLUMINATORS in 2024. Help spread the light wherever you go. Have deeper conversations. Do your internal work so you will “feel all the feels” - the hard, uncomfortable ones AND the welcome, enjoyable ones! Laugh more. Connect with your friends and neighbors and coworkers and clients. 

Thanks be to God for another year of life, of living, of friends and family like you.

Much love,

Sal & Kim (and of course, Zoe)