Episode #26: Overcoming Trauma #26: Service

Feb,01 2026

<-#25: Overcoming Trauma #25: Possible New Friends#27: Overcoming Trauma #27: Cooling Down ->

I ate breakfast with John because Nadia and Patrick didn't want to impose on our food supplies despite me reminding them that we had enough.

My theory is that she wanted some time alone with her husband, perhaps to tell him about our walk the previous day. I certainly took that opportunity to inform John.

But before leaving. Nadia reminded me about service, and John was basically surprised I was still planning to go.

"Assuming Sarah still does"

"That, I get, but do you want to go?"

I thought. "I want to find a way to not hate religion for the wrong reasons. I only knew my mother's extremism"

"You might find the same thing here"

"I might. In which case, I will have taken my shot and missed. And I am fine with that. But I will know, while now, I just fear, and I can't just live in fear"

"Right."

I went to the drawer where I put the book of Christopher. I search in it, and then I give it to him, opened to 1 Christopher 4.

"What is this?"

"They have their own additional scripture. This guy, Christopher, lived in the late 1800s and died in 1935 or something. He was a nudist, a sort of prophet, and people wrote down what he said and did, and it's the basis for their denomination"

"Oh boy, this feels very cultish"

"I know! That was my reaction. But read that one. If you read only one", I say, opening one of the chapters I liked.

He does, and he laughs.

"Ok, I like this guy", he says.

"I know. It's like he is an anarchist communist or something"

"Will you bring that book home?"

"I suppose. I am not sure if Kara lent it to me or gave it to me."

"I might read it"

"You still read every religious book you find?", I ask him.

"Well, yeah.", he says, a little shy.

"No, it's ok, John. You don't believe in it, but you respect religion enough to read what they believe. You have an open mind that I admire, which is the opposite of my mother's closed mind."

He smiles.

After their sleepover, our kids had been dropped off by Ginny, and while they had eaten, Kyle still wanted some cereal. I tried to speak with Ginny, but she was rushing to get back. Oh well.

Sarah was really looking forward to the service. "Cassie tells me the pastor is super wise"

All I know is that last week, service wasn't that long. At my mother's church, it took almost 2 hours!

She did ask if her father would go, but he deflected, saying he would take care of Kyle.

I expected her to be sad, but I think she was relieved. Recently, Sarah did a few things to get closer to me, which I reciprocated. I think she is looking for a mother figure or something, like I had been around her age, so I will make damn sure to be there for her and not cold and distant like my parents were.

I kissed my husband goodbye and left with Sarah, each with a towel over our shoulder, for the little chapel. Well, I wouldn't call it a church because it's too small, but it looked like one.

A man was outside and saw us arrive.

"Newcomers?" he said.

"Yes, I am Elena; this is my daughter Sarah. We are friends with Nadia and her family"

He smiles. "I am Pastor Luke. You are both welcome. "Are you part of the Naturist Fellowship already, or coming from another Protestant tradition?"

"Well, we aren't very religious in our family, but I did read both books of Christopher Friday"

He smiles. "Amazing. Did you like what he is teaching?"

I looked at him. He seems like a good pastor, listening in, but he was completely nude.

"I do. I am a nurse, and I feel like he understands science"

I think his eyes opened.

"Hey, a little spoiler: the Christopher gospel we will be reading is 2:21, the one about vaccines today. Instead of Kara, would you enjoy reading it?"

"Oh, I don't want to take it away from her"

"No, I think she will mind. So, what do you say?"

I look at Sarah; I think she feels pride, so I agree.

"Good. We do not do things like other denominations. I am also a progressive Methodist pastor, and they push a lot more for attendance. Here, we believe that church service isn't a routine but rather a pickup stop. When you need some spiritual guidance, come see us. And perhaps get on my email list; I email the subjects every Friday afternoon", he leans forward, "or Saturday morning when I am needed at the hospital"

"Wait, are you one of the chaplains at the hospital?"

"Yes, in the cancer ward, with Wendy"

"I work in the trauma room"

"I know exactly who you are. 2 months ago, I was by one of our patients who was brought into the trauma room, and while I can forget a face or a name, I never forget kindness and dedication"

Kara soon came with her whole family. Pastor Luke told her about the reading change, and she was thrilled to see me take part in the service.

Nadia soon came with Cassie and Patrick, and we went in to sit. Kelly and her family had arrived by then. Martina showed up with Luis, and Wendy showed up alone.

Hanna and her family sat nearer to the back. There were a few older people, including Myriam, who was sitting at the front.

The chapel wasn't full, but it was far from empty.

"Welcome everyone, and thank you for being here. As a reminder, we do not have collection plates; none of us have pockets. If you wish to donate to help pay for my food, the church website has a donation link. It helps me survive. I also accept food donations, but that's more complicated", he said, laughing.

The start of the service was similar, with Myriam reading from Genesis, notably 2:15 about humans placed to till and keep.

Psalm 8 was read by Kelly, but then Martina read two quotes of Christopher from Myriam. I hadn't made it that far in the book yet.

I asked whether Eve was truly to blame. He laughed and said, "If curiosity were a curse, God would not have given us eyes."

And

Concerning the flood, he murmured, "Perhaps the story is not about how many drowned but about how few remembered to build something"

It was short but efficient. Knowing where the sermon was going, these were the right readings.

The epistle was part of the Letter of Myriam to Hannah. I wondered how that Hannah was spelled.

When you were small, you asked why Christopher laughed so often. I told you it was because he did not believe God was nervous.

I still believe that. I do not ask you to loosen your grip on what you love. I only ask you to feel whether it is the grip of holding or the grip of fear.

You said on Sunday that rules keep us clean. I thought of the woman who touched Christ's cloak and was not sent away to wash first. I thought of how untidy that miracle must have looked to the careful.

Perhaps I am too gentle. Perhaps mothers grow softer as their daughters grow harder. If so, forgive me that weakness. I watch you teach your own children, and I see such patience in your hands.

Yet when the talk turns to doctrine, your shoulders rise as if you are expecting stones. No one here is throwing them. I am not asking you to change your faith. I am asking you to leave a small space inside it where people can breathe. Even the temple had windows.

Your father says I should not write this letter. He fears it will only start another storm. But storms also clear the air, and I would rather risk weather than silence.

This was packed. The stuff about the mothers growing softer and such hit me. My mother was strict, and I am soft, while Sarah is getting a rather strong personality. I don't know what to think about that.

But soon enough, I was called to read from Christopher, and I did the best I could to sound lively. I had read from the Bible as a teenager, so it's not my first experience. I think I did well, for Luke nodded and smiled when I was done.

He read Mark 2:1-12, the healing of the paralytic, and then went on to his sermon, which warned us about the fear put on by the current administration over science in general and vaccines in particular.

"Christopher loved science as much as he loved God, for we all believe that he saw science as acts of God. He wasn't different from Gregor Mendel, a monk who experimented with peas and discovered the laws of genetics. Most scientists in the past were religious, and religion mostly welcomed them. Why did they move away from their churches? Because churches rejected them. Vaccinate your children. You know I am also a reformed Methodist pastor, and many of my Methodist followers fear vaccines. I fear for them, for vaccines were divinely inspired to protect us. Trust them, not the lost souls who fear them."

He went on a little longer, tying in the other lectures, but mostly kept it short. I wondered, does he need to run to that other church?

We did the communions and all, like other churches. It's like the only differences were what people wore, extra readings, and overall a faster pace.

When it ended, he came to thank me personally.

"And Elena, if you aren't a member and wish to come, the resort will let you come in for free if you leave after the service"

"We just became silver members"

"Good. I hope to see you soon. If you don't remember the website for the church, there is a link on the resort's website"

"Right, for a donation", I say, skeptical.

"Sorry, we no longer live in Christopher's time"

He then left to thank others, and I found myself outside, with Martina excited I got to read and Kelly happy I came, with Kara by her side echoing the same sentiment.

Whatever was between them theologically speaking wasn't an obstacle to their friendship, and I admired that.

Hanna invited everyone to go play volleyball. Cassie was happy to, so Sarah wanted to join.

I just had to find John and Kyle, but I found them in the pool, with John giving more advanced swimming lessons to our son.

Both were excited by the volleyball, and soon enough, most of the people I knew, except Martina and Luis, who only came for the service, were on the volleyball court.

Right, and Wendy, she went to join her family after the service.

Hanna was having a ton of fun, laughing and joking; Nadia joined in, so I did too. Kelly eventually loosened up, and the men mostly joined in.

I think only Kara stayed serious, but she was one of the weakest of the good players.

Hanna wasn't so bad, but she wasn't, in any way, shape, or form, one of the good players. It's like she could goof off because she wasn't good. Nadia was surprisingly good after the bad golf game, so this might be her best sport, and she could afford to joke around because she rarely missed.

I didn't care, so I could join in too. But Kara, if concentrating, could do well, but not if careless.

John was great, and Kyle was surprising for his age. Not quite good, but he didn't suck. Sarah and Cassie barely put in an effort but did some good.

Ginny joined us after perhaps 25 minutes and really changed the outcome. It's like both teams were on par, and whichever side had Ginny would win.

To my surprise, there were a few changes, with Hanna moving to be with Ginny and leaving our side, but she left her husband with us.

We kept points, but the impression I was having is that everyone was trying to keep the game tied for some reason. Each time a team began to dominate, we did a swap.

We finished with the other team winning, but not by much.

Sadly, this is when John left for his golf game, but Nadia and I got a surprise help with the kids: Hanna was also a golf widow, and she proposed that the three of us and the 5 kids go to the lake.

Ginny decided to join us, which would be an occasion for me to finally have a conversation with her, but by the time it took to organize the kids, such as putting on another layer of sunscreen, Wendy was looking for her daughter, and they both left.

Oh well. Maybe it's me who has a hangup about knowing who babysits my kids? Most people just hire whoever is available after a short interview.

Perhaps the problem is that I still didn't have that interview, but I did know her parents well enough, and the other parents trusted her, and I trusted them well enough.

So, we went to the lake, and I discovered that Hanna, like the previous day, is also the type to play with the kids. Nadia was converted, so we had a ton of fun.

The pool is nice, but the lake is wider, so it allows for more playstyles.

Hanna took a breather on the side but soon returned to the action.

"Sorry, I have light exercise-induced asthma, not enough for medication, but enough to wind me out"

I look at her. "I never heard of that affliction"

"Doesn't surprise me. It took years for my doctor to catch it, and my pulmonologist didn't even know about that condition. It's worse by the pool, with the chlorine and all"

"So it's not like asthma?"

"No, well, plenty of people with asthma also have exercise-induced asthma, but not me. No normal asthma. He said it's like my airways dehydrate faster than others or something when I exercise"

"So do you risk an asthma crisis?"

"Oh no, just some coughing, shortness of breath. I don't even get wheezing. I just need a pause."

"You seemed fine during volleyball?"

"Yeah, it wasn't constant work. I often just paused, you know? The ball isn't always near me"

I laughed. Indeed.

Eventually the kids got hungry, and I realized I was too, so we headed back to the resorts.

"Would you like to eat at my house?" Hanna said.

"Oh, I had food planned for lunch"

"Bring it over. I have a microwave and an oven and, well, other food. Maybe we can share. I have enough for you, and Cassie, Nadia"

"Ok, I am game. I'll return the favor", says Nadia.

Hanna laughs. "Like you never did us any favors. Remember when you fixed my computer?"

"Hey, I was just helping a friend", Nadia says.

"And I am just helping a friend", Hanna replied.

I picked up our food supply, leaving some behind for John, and we found ourselves in Hanna's house, but I was surprised at the decorations.

I was in Kara's house, and it was mainly decorated with store-bought frames. Hanna's wall was covered with pictures of her family.

We could see Anton playing soccer when he was perhaps 6 years old. Lizzie learning to ride a bike, or the whole family opening Christmas presents.

It was nice. Even some pictures of them on a beach somewhere warm.

It was like every other family, except that in each of them, everyone was nude. There was even a picture of Hanna, pregnant with Lizzie, nude.

I shouldn't be surprised; she lives in a naturist resort. I could see pictures of Hanna with other people too that I don't know.

There is a corner desk in the living room, where a laptop is located. Perhaps that's her computer and her home office?

We ended up trading food again. She thought my roast chicken looked delicious, and Sarah wanted some of the crispy cod with lentils that Cassie was having.

We had fun. Hanna isn't just funny and warm, but Nadia is in a better mood with her. It's weird how Nadia doesn't seem to realize how well the two connect.

Or maybe she does, and she kept me away from Hanna out of jealousy?

Our husbands found us still eating because Darren knew Hanna would surely invite us over.

There was still plenty of food for John, Darren, and Patrick, and honestly, between the stories from the golf game, the kids talking about the games, and both Hanna and Nadia going back to the volleyball game, it felt like a family getting together for Thanksgiving.

I didn't need to talk much; the mood was festive, everyone was happy, and I guess I was too!

<-#25: Overcoming Trauma #25: Possible New Friends#27: Overcoming Trauma #27: Cooling Down ->