Church

This morning Mini Me donned her pretty Christmas dress to wear to church.  That alone - seeing her all dressed up and feeling so pretty - is enough to make my day fabulous, but today was special because she and I played two Christmas duets at church, and then she played a solo.  It is so freaking cool that my daughter and I can play the piano together!  It feels good to be on that bench with her - - especially since I kind of "lost" my piano playing until now, and I'm so glad to have found it again.

But the best part about playing in church is the church itself.  Not the building - - the people.  Our church family.  The group of people who clapped and praised and sang along and genuinely loved hearing us (especially Mini Me) play today.

This is the church I grew up in.  It's a very small, family church - - and I mean SMALL.  There are only 40 or so people in church on a typical Sunday.  But because it's so small, it truly is a family.  During the "passing of the peace," everyone shakes everyone else's hand.  (Or rather bumps elbows, as some have taken to doing in fear of contracting a fatal disease, apparently.)   "Joys and concerns" time is conversational.  In fact, when Little Man walked down the side aisle and headed right around the front pew, my s-m-m-c stopped right in the middle of the sermon to tell my dad that it was fine to let him wander.  THAT is what an intimate environment it is. 

I feel truly at home there.  Like Cheers.  Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name.  And there, they do.  And it feels REALLY fabulous.