Dear Ones,

February has always seemed like the longest month to me. We’re past the major winter holidays and spring holidays still seem a long way away. The weather is mostly mild, though there are some chilly days and cold nights here in South Carolina.

In this congregation most of our major events happen in the fall. Late winter/early spring events have been cancelled for the past two years – events like the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade, the Penn Center gala, and the Men Who Cook spring fundraiser.

We’re coming up on two years of this global pandemic, and it’s been quite a roller coaster of a time. We’ve tried reopening to in person worship and meetings, and that’s worked for short periods of time. Then we’ve had to return to online worship and meetings when the highly contagious Delta and Omicron variants of the coronavirus swept through the country.

Some of us who have received the vaccinations and boosters have tested positive for the most recent variants. The good news is that these cases have been mostly been mild, with the vaccination/booster combination keeping people out of the hospital for the most part.

Every morning I check the New York Times COVID tracker for Beaufort County, and I’m sure many of you check this or other trackers as well. As your Reopening Task Force members begin to see the daily case numbers tick steadily downward, stay tuned for news from UUFB on when we will return to in person gatherings. In the meantime, enjoy these cool, yet sunny, days and remember that we need each other.

Be safe, friends. I love you.

Blessings,
Rev. Lori