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My friend Shannon was one of a kind. She had a huge heart, full of love and loyalty to those of us in her chosen family. Shannon believed in the power of kindness, and, though her snarky streak was strong and deep, she practiced kindness as she preached it. Fiercely and consistently. Shannon made everyone she loved believe that great—and even magical—things were possible for them.

When Shannon moved to Florida, she told me that the thing she missed the most was the blaze of color in autumn. Leaves don’t change in Tampa—it’s green all year there. And so, I decided I needed to bring her the possibility of fall in Florida.

I began an annual tradition of collecting colorful leaves and mailing her a large box of them. Wherever I went through the fall, I’d pick the very prettiest leaves up from the ground and carefully stow them away until I had enough to send Shannon. It did her heart good to know that she could count on receiving the box that meant I had paid attention when she told me of her heartache.

For a while, this became a ministry of mine: the ministry of autumn possibility. I’ve sent boxes of bright autumn leaves to far-flung friends, making fall possible in San Diego and Austin. I’ve helped homesick interns and recently relocated friends. It has been fun.

When Shannon died in October of 2018, I had already collected leaves for her—bright, colorful maple leaves
from the Adirondack Mountains. And as I grieved the loss of my friend, I had this bag of red, orange, and yellow leaves, quickly drying out and turning to dust. So, mixed with the tears of sadness and anger, I returned those leaves to the Earth.

We gather in religious community in part to bear witness to each other’s lives. That sacred witness we offer one another gives us room for memories, for stories, for retelling the reasons we are who we are today. We share moments of kindness and transformation, examples of times when our lives were touched by others, so that we can hold those gifts close to us.

As we bear witness to one another in the fullness of our being, we make new things possible. Love. Justice. Magic. Maybe even fall in Florida.

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Rev. Dr. Michael Tino

Lead Ministry Team at Church of the Larger Fellowship

Michael Tino (they/them) is a minister with over 20 years experience in congregational and denominational work. Michael has served the UU Fellowship of Northern Westchester as its minister since 2007, and before that served six years as the UUA Director of Young Adult and Campus Ministry. Before becoming a UU religious professional, Michael was a cell biologist; they hold a Ph.D. from Duke University in that field. Michael’s service to our faith has included a term on the UUA Board of Trustees, where they led the Board’s work to have our Association repudiate the Doctrine of Discovery, and leadership roles in Allies for Racial Equity, the Southeast UU Summer Institute, the Ohio River Group minister’s study group, and the Ministerial Fellowship Committee, on which they currently serve. Originally from New York City, Michael now lives in Peekskill, NY, with their husband Eric and their seven-year-old daughter, Nora.

Latest posts by Rev. Dr. Michael Tino (see all)

• On Covenant and Accountability - September 11, 2024
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