Sometimes I think that life is like a garden - seeds are planted, over time they grow and it seems that suddenly you have a garden full of plants and flowers .... some expected and some you didn't know you'd planted.
Like a garden, things in our life change daily but often it's not until we sit down and think about everything we realise how many changes we have had in our lives. For me the past few months have been a time of new developing new friendships, finding a new church, reconnecting with old friends, going to a new craft group and starting a new job.
I would never have thought a posting on the Melbourne Freecycle Cafe for information about an Alpha group followed by an offer of some potatoes would have led to the forming of new friendships and finding a new church but little did I know that a question posted on the 15th January was going to lead to such a big change in my life. It was from these postings that I met Andrea and after a few emails back and forth about the church she went to, I was invited to tea and met her husband, Richard, their daughter Siobhan, and some of their friends.
In addition to the emails back and forth I was also given the church's website to look at. This is where I was amazed to see the face of a man I met at a school christian program when I was about 15 years old at school in Bendigo. This man, Harley gave me a booklet with his name on the back. I had never forgotten him even though I had not seen him since that day. I'd kept the booklet all these years.
The co-incidences continued as it turned out that Harley is the brother of Dave, one of the directors of 'OI' the 'church/sect' I had left 18 months before after going there for 37 years. One long chapter of my life ended talking to one brother and a new chapter began with talking to the other brother.
I made a big decision and went to my first meeting at Truth & Liberation Concern (TLC) on the 1 February 2009. After leaving behind 37 years of my life - my friends, beliefs and all the things I was used to I am now rebuilding new friendships, discovering what I believe and enjoying life again.
As well as starting new friendships the past few months has also been a time of re-establishing some old friendships. Through Facebook I have meet up with people who have also left OI. We are all at different stages of rebuilding our lives and it has been so valuable being able to talk to other people who have been through the same experiences.
Since going to TLC I have also started to go to the craft group Brink. It's run by TLC but is very much open to the community. People go there to knit, sew, paint or just to meet other people. I love going and spending a couple of hours a week on sewing my quilts, knitting and meeting new people.
Tomorrow I start another new chapter in my life. I will be starting a new job as a part time (2 days a week) bookkeeper for a computer retail store in Ringwood. Things with my boss in my current job aren't going very well. He suffers depression and has gone away on a 'holiday' leaving his family and business behind. It's been hard to say that I can't and don't want to work for this guy anymore but for my own health it's been a decision I've had to make. Until he comes back and a decision is made about the viability of the business I'll continue working there for one afternoon a week.
The past 3 months have been full of so many changes - I'm looking forward to seeing what the days, weeks and months ahead hold for me.
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