Ever since I went to Divinity School, I have sent out a Holiday newsletter around Christmas, New Year, or Thanksgiving each year. When my friends started getting married, having kids, and buying homes, I would receive their newsletter updates each year. I decided that single students also could (and should!) do the same--because each person's yearly joys & sorrows are worth remembering.
We are just a little over halfway through this year, but it feels appropriate to take stock of 2020 already, simply because of the year it's been.
In January, I asked 30+ friends to pray for 40 days, starting on my birthday, for my search for a life partner. Each friend signed up on a google spreadsheet, and I let them remain anonymous by simply filling in a color. I was blown away by how colorful the spreadsheet was and felt that the 40 days was a season of healing and connecting with friends I've made over the last 15 years!
By the end of the 40 days, I had gone out on a date with a very eligible bachelor, with many common professional and personal interests--and also enough differences to make things interesting. On February 14th, we had a 4-hour dinner, where we got to know each other and talk about our future aspirations. Exactly 4 months later, on June 14th, we met up again in person, this time for a 7-hour dinner with a great view of the city. Things in Los Angeles had just begun to open up, and this was my first time eating out since sheltering in place, as I had largely stayed at home. He has since then moved to Portland for work, and is really enjoying his new life there! We are still in touch, but due to professional considerations, will not be able to take things beyond friendship for another 2 years.
During the pandemic, I felt like my homeschooled upbringing, introverted temperament, and student lifestyle had already prepared me to stay at home and work remotely and independently. In fact, I felt a surge of productivity, as the pressure to go out and do things was taken away, and all that I could do for the world was pray and donate masks.
From March to June, I continued working 3 part-time jobs and taking full-time classes at Claremont School of Theology. I taught music lessons on Zoom, interacted with seminary students online, and helped the Orange County Interfaith Network produce 3 Virtual Roundtable Discussions (now on Youtube!) and a podcast series. I had an average of 3-4 Zoom calls a day, and each week, I also caught up with various friends and friend-groups. At one point, I was spending 25-30 hours on Zoom each week, between personal and professional calls.
In June, things shifted. George Floyd's murder brought a new wave of social awareness towards centuries' old systemic injustices, and the impact today. I worked with a diverse group of friends from my Yale Divinity School days to host a virtual vigil for George Floyd, run a Zoom clinic for protestors, and publish an article on Black Lives Matter for a theological blog in Germany. Throughout the next few weeks, I had several intentional discussions with diverse friends from all sorts of backgrounds, about how we are all being affected by this national conversation.
In July, I received a new job opportunity with the Center for Healthy Minds (based at the University of Madison-Wisconsin), and am now a consultant for their app (you may hear my voice in some of their upcoming meditations)! I also learned that I would have a unique opportunity to complete my chaplaincy training at Southern California Methodist Hospital, where the spiritual care department created a paid residency just for me. This means that I will be able to not only become a board-certified chaplain while finishing up my Ph.D, but that I will also be able to be trained to become a chaplain supervisor in the next few years.
I have never prayed hard for career opportunities, and yet during a time of pandemic and economic crisis, job opportunities have continued coming my way. I have been praying for marriage ever since I was a little girl, and that blessing has not yet arrived. We don't get to choose which areas of life we are blessed in, but if I could trade some of these jobs opportunities for prospective partners, then I would! All joking aside, I am so blessed to have an education and vocational trajectory that allows me to give to the world with my full self. I would love to share that life with a committed partner on top of that.
The only other piece of news is that the Huang family has been going through a pretty rough season, but we believe therapy will help us continue to work through difficult dynamics and patterns. My parents are doing well, and staying active, and I spend quality time with them each week. (As you may guess, my relationship with them is not the issue in our family dynamic.) All of us have managed to stay safe and healthy throughout this challenging year, and for that, I am most grateful.
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