Sincerely Sophi

There’s something sacred about this coffee shop we find ourselves in over and over again.  The tears spilt in stress over words to be fit perfectly on a page.  A public space so full of vulnerability, like I've never known. Safety amongst strangers.  I’ve met community between these walls.  Old women asking me, a twenty year old they’ve never met, for help on their computers.  A warm greeting between myself and a classmate, seeing each other for the first time outside of class. Seeing more glimpses of who we are.  Meeting again over coffee and tea and discovering what makes each other get up and live each day.  A theatre as ministry class spilling in, accepting the gracious gift of coffee, and crowding around chairs and sofas to create our own safe, sacred, circle within this boisterous building of life. Deep conversations on art and faith. Reflections on our show. On grace. On Beauty. On forgiveness. On failure. On our good God and his abundant love....

I am from sitting by the weathered, brown, baby grand piano coloring and sitting in the sound of my mom practicing worship at the piano’s keys. I am from admiring my Mama’s glass Little Women dolls, one for each of us daughters.     I am from Barbie dolls, littlest pet shops and polly pockets. I am from American doll tea parties and sleepovers with neighbors.  I’m from childhood schemes with our neighborhood besties…of lemonade sales, practicing for homemade Fourth of July shows, dressing up as boys and pretending to be spies, and running around washing our neighbors cars for a few bucks. I’m from secret meetings in the neighbors play structure, playing survival in the front yard, sneaking through the fence connecting our backyard with our neighbors, and eating meals as two families together. I’m from warm, safe, and loud.  I am from oak trees we pretended were horses. Oak trees which lent their limbs to a beautiful swing my dad made, which we spent hou...