Becoming parents was no small decision or task for myself and my spouse. We live at the intersections of some very real privileges and challenges. On the one hand, we are a queer couple, so the ways we could expand our family necessitated medical and legal proceedings that disproportionately impact families like ours. But we were also privileged enough to have access to insurance and providers in a state that made it affordable and safe to grow our family when the time was right. And it was not lost on us that we were at the height of our efforts to have a baby when the Dobbs decision came down in 2022, dealing a horrific blow to the reproductive justice movement that had made families like ours possible.
Yet, with all of the medical, legal, financial, and logistical aspects to our decision-making process, one factor weighed most heavily on my heart: What kind of world would my child be inheriting? Would they hate me for bringing them into a world that was dying?
Both my spouse and I had several conversations about this truly difficult reality. Was it fair for us to bring someone into a world that was going to be that much harder and scarier for them just because we wanted a child? With global temperatures and fascism on the rise, would they even have a chance to live a full life? Even now, asking those questions aloud, I still wonder…I suppose that’s the inevitable reality of parenthood.
But in the end, amidst those real fears and uncertainties, we knew there was space for hope. Because we believed, and still do, that just because the hardships are inevitable, it doesn’t mean the beauty and healing are impossible. Because we know what kind of world we are building our family within, we can surround Noor with the values, experiences, and communities that nurture their creativity, resilience, compassion, and commitment to the world they decide is possible. Witnessing youth and young adults lead the way with movements like the March for Our Lives, the Sunrise Movement, Black Youth Project 100, Palestinian Youth Movement, and countless more reminded us that if the ones inheriting the world are still fighting to change it, then we have no excuse to give up on it yet. That Noor would be inheriting not simply a dying world but an evolving one – shaped by the experiences, imaginations, wisdom, and collective care of communities centered on the values of interdependence, transformation, and love.
30 Days of Love is a Unitarian Universalist season of reflection and shared practice, observed each year from Martin Luther King Jr. Day through Valentine’s Day. During these five weeks, UU communities center love as a spiritual discipline and a guiding force for justice, connection, and hope. In a time shaped by fear and division, we choose to practice another way. Love is not passive or fragile. Love is active, grounding, and transformative.
Weekly Gatherings at UU Miami
Virtual Gathering
Wednesdays at 12:00 noon
Led by Rev. Marrero
A midweek virtual space for reflection and conversation around the weekly theme.
In Person Gathering
Sundays after service
Led by members of the congregation
An in person gathering for shared reflection and community connection.
Weekly Themes
Week 1: Reimagining Thriving
Week 2: Grounding in Context
Week 3: Mobilizing Action
Week 4: Nurturing Community
Week 5: Exploring Possibilities
Please complete the form below if you would like to participate in 30 Days of Love at UU Miami. You may attend one or both weekly gatherings. You will also have the option to indicate whether you are interested in helping lead one of the in person Sunday gatherings.
