The district pastor’s wives retreat was this weekend at camp. I didn’t go, but when Josh went over for evening service on Friday, he texted to let me know that three of my pastor’s wife friends were attending. Laura’s mom had asked me earlier if I was going, but I told her I probably wasn’t since that was the weekend of fall break. This retreat has never filled my cup for whatever reason. Even living next door, it feels like the time of not even a 24-hour day is too much to give up when everyone is home here.

She didn’t go either but I don’t remember now why. I wrote earlier (and then deleted) about how we ended up babysitting for one of our camp friends and their 3-year old son. Things came up, and his dad needed to drop him off a littler earlier to get some work done. His mom asked if we could watch him and I was delighted to say yes. They’re people we would go out of our way to help, though we didn’t even need to since we lived right here and the afternoon with him over was a joy for all involved.

When his mother came to pick him up, she listed some of the other women in attendance. I know them only in name from hearing her talk. They are other young moms in the district, surprisingly close by for having never met them. Their husbands are newly ordained and they have a fairly active PALS group which they will next year age out of (PALS goes for three years). Five of the women this year had lap babies. In all this I felt a sense of longing to be part of their lives. I felt like I should know them.

She told me of a blog called All The Household. It’s run by two Lutheran women providing resources for other women who want to incorporate more liturgical living such as celebrating saint days and personal family things like baptismal birthdays. I remember wanting to be this kind of mom, sort of. Two of my internet friends were like this and I knew of more who would’ve found this revolving around the liturgical calendar appealing. But it didn’t feel quite authentic enough for me to do myself.

I’m not that Lutheran. But for whatever reason since becoming one, at least since becoming a married adult one, I do feel this call and pull toward the Lutheran sisterhood. After growing up as a mom and going through things with these people, I want to do more to help them, encourage them, etc, and not just turn my back and forget these people ever existed. If it’s real or just lingering sentimentality I don’t know. I told myself I’d never forget what that stage was like, and though I’ve tried I can’t forget.