Census

I'm an obsessive counter. I count the people in a room constantly, especially if we're sitting in a circle.

We're reading through Numbers right now, and I kinda love it. There are so many numbers in there! So much counting! The things that keep me from being a mathematician or a statistician are also numerous, so no need to even ask. People like me would enjoy being census workers for this year, I bet.

Let's get back to the circle. When counting the number of people in the circle...

Do I count the little children who run around?
     Yes, I do. They sometimes contribute to the conversation.

Do I count the baby in arms?
     Yep, that one, too. Even though they don't add to the conversation, they're still present.

What about the baby still in her mom's belly?
     They're present... right?

What if the baby is still so small, no one knows about it yet? Do we count that one? Does God?

What about the babies that will be born from those people in the room? Does God count those people? How does God count the number of people in a room?
     That would be ridiculous, right? Like counting the children of Abraham, the many generations that grow and spread out of the family tree until the tree gets so heavy, memory staggers under the weight of it, and many trunks begin anew.
     God must count people in a room by using some temporal strategy. Perhaps he collaborates with us. Maybe he counts the people in the room that we humans also see in the room, because those are the people affecting those present in the room at the time. Yes, even the smallest embryo as it begins to affect the skin sheen of his mother.

But what about if someone is attending a meeting through video?
     Time for bed.

Settling Into Happiness

It's been so long since
I've settled my heart long enough
to make a space wide and quiet enough to tell
  my legs
  my arms
  my neck
  my back
that we're really very happy—
happier than we've ever been!