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I am happy my Dad is getting a vaccine tomorrow. I'm happy for the excuse to go over and be with Mom, knowing we will then enter a stretch of only getting together virtually for a while.
How long will we have to skim past headlines comparing Trump to Biden being normal? I was thankful the "Biden has a Peleton" article had very little Trump in it as it went on about the social ... judgements of having one as well as the security issue.
Saturday, prepared for Meeting for business.
After my last check of email for the day, person X wrote to notify me that they were going to ask Meeting to let them make a designated donation to meeting which the meeting would send to person Y who is having transportation issues. While i am fully in support of such generosity, i was not clear why the gift wasn't direct. Obviously, if the answer was "taxes" -- yikes! Maybe the legal conflict of such behavior isn't clear and obvious?
I replied
I don't know if X read that before the Meeting. I was aghast, because the ethics of the situation seem obvious to me -- but that's me. So it was on the agenda, and i asked X why they wanted to handle this that way and they said it would help strengthen the relationship between the meeting and Y AND it might provide X with some tax benefits. *facepalm* I suggested that the Meeting could also make a contribution (of the size we often make contributions) independent of the directed donation, and another person acknowledged that that was our usual size, but could meeting just make the donation for the full amount without expecting any directed donations. And so we agreed.
I was thankful for the generous path forward. I really value the generosity of the meeting.
I also have some mixed feelings about the assistance to Y, as it comes on the heels of also donating 6 months rent for a storefront for Y to get their business off the ground. Y lives in a "developing" country so the rent was very inexpensive compared to here. But i do wonder about "playing fairy godmother." I don't feel enough trust in this community to really discuss this with Meeting and get clarity on it.
Monday i was exhausted. I appreciated having the day off, watched the MLK breakfast for the Triangle and the midday speech from Rev. William Barber II. I am appreciating Rev. William Barber II and see he will be leading the Inaugural prayer service at the national cathedral on Thursday.
Today work was busy but not particularly rewarding.
It's Christine's birthday, a day she hates and she's not at ease with it. I made the mistake of accepting Christine's request to intercede with her sister . I know Christine has porcupine prickles, but her sister's ... i don't know. Incomprehending. I dunno. Does it really help anyone who is depressed or angry or frustrated to hear "That makes me so very sad?" It just doesn't seem like a good way to connect. (It's all about me, is what i hear.) Ugh. I will try and stay out from between them in the future.
How long will we have to skim past headlines comparing Trump to Biden being normal? I was thankful the "Biden has a Peleton" article had very little Trump in it as it went on about the social ... judgements of having one as well as the security issue.
Saturday, prepared for Meeting for business.
After my last check of email for the day, person X wrote to notify me that they were going to ask Meeting to let them make a designated donation to meeting which the meeting would send to person Y who is having transportation issues. While i am fully in support of such generosity, i was not clear why the gift wasn't direct. Obviously, if the answer was "taxes" -- yikes! Maybe the legal conflict of such behavior isn't clear and obvious?
I replied
Are you familiar with the negative legal impacts of pass through gifts? https://www.ecfa.org/Content/ART-Running-Gifts-Through-the-Ministry-NP
Given legal risks, i would want to understand what benefit there is over [you] directly making the gift to [Y].
I don't know if X read that before the Meeting. I was aghast, because the ethics of the situation seem obvious to me -- but that's me. So it was on the agenda, and i asked X why they wanted to handle this that way and they said it would help strengthen the relationship between the meeting and Y AND it might provide X with some tax benefits. *facepalm* I suggested that the Meeting could also make a contribution (of the size we often make contributions) independent of the directed donation, and another person acknowledged that that was our usual size, but could meeting just make the donation for the full amount without expecting any directed donations. And so we agreed.
I was thankful for the generous path forward. I really value the generosity of the meeting.
I also have some mixed feelings about the assistance to Y, as it comes on the heels of also donating 6 months rent for a storefront for Y to get their business off the ground. Y lives in a "developing" country so the rent was very inexpensive compared to here. But i do wonder about "playing fairy godmother." I don't feel enough trust in this community to really discuss this with Meeting and get clarity on it.
Monday i was exhausted. I appreciated having the day off, watched the MLK breakfast for the Triangle and the midday speech from Rev. William Barber II. I am appreciating Rev. William Barber II and see he will be leading the Inaugural prayer service at the national cathedral on Thursday.
Today work was busy but not particularly rewarding.
It's Christine's birthday, a day she hates and she's not at ease with it. I made the mistake of accepting Christine's request to intercede with her sister . I know Christine has porcupine prickles, but her sister's ... i don't know. Incomprehending. I dunno. Does it really help anyone who is depressed or angry or frustrated to hear "That makes me so very sad?" It just doesn't seem like a good way to connect. (It's all about me, is what i hear.) Ugh. I will try and stay out from between them in the future.
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