There once was a “Uni” named “Wendy,”
Whose horn glitzed in gold was so trendy.
She searched for her herd,
Where diversity is spurred—
Found the Fellowship varied aplenty!

Author & UUFP member Julian Padowicz marries his passion for writing with his zeal for sharing the UUFP story of embracing diversity.

Last month, Wendy learned more about the value of helping one another. As she experiences inclusivity and what it means to be part of a Beloved Community, she hopes that both adults and children will share our story about who we are and what we do, as Unitarian Universalists, and offer a warm welcome to all to our stable—uh...we mean...Fellowship!

"Beloved Community...Presents in our Presence"

Unicorns must really, really like to gallop, Wendy decided. But she couldn't be very sure. She didn't know any unicorns, other than herself.

She had come up with that "galloping" conclusion because of how good she always seemed to feel after a fast gallop, a gallop beside the highway or through the woods or along the beach.

She would let her gallop take her wherever it would (because she wasn't really trying to go anywhere) just to feel the blood circulating in her muscles, the wind lifting her mane up off her neck and blowing it straight back like a flag, and the trees and buildings whipping by.

While enjoying her favorite pastime, Wendy wasn't feeling the loneliness that had been biting at her heart, because she didn't know any other unicorns and her new friends had stopped coming to her Unitarian Universalist church on Sundays on account of the coronavirus.

Wendy had never thought in terms of it being her church—she had only begun attending a few Sundays ago. But now, they didn't unlock the doors anymore, and the members didn't come on Sundays to greet each other, to hug, to sing together, and to listen to the minister talk about how to be kind to one another. Wendy felt so lonely that, clearly, it had become her church in the few weeks she had been attending. Also, whenever she went for her daily gallop, since the start of "social separation," whether she started running beside the highway, along the beach, or through the woods, she always seemed to end up in that church's empty parking lot.

Today, like all those other days, there she was, out of breath, sweaty, and feeling a little better, right in the UUFP parking lot.

Wendy tried the front door, as she always did, "just in case." As on other days, recently, the door was locked. She felt all that good feeling from her run leaking out of her body, as though there were a hole in one of her hooves.

Gazing through the large pane of glass on the front door, Wendy could see a woman walking across the room with a big box in her hands. She was so excited to see somebody inside that the horn in the middle of her forehead managed, unintentionally, to bang against the glass, making a loud knocking sound.

The woman turned, recognized Wendy on the other side of the door, and broke into a smile. Pausing what she was doing, she walked to the door to greet the visitor: "Oh, how nice to see you, Wendy."

"I didn't mean to knock," Wendy said. "It was an accident, and I'm just glad I didn't break the glass." Then she added what she had been saying to everyone she'd spoken with for the past couple of weeks. "But don't worry; unicorns can't get or transmit Corona."

"Then you can keep me company," the woman replied.

"Oh, you're busy. I don't want to disturb you." Wendy didn't like to disturb people.

"You're not disturbing me. I'm getting things together for a virtual Religious Education class for the children this Sunday. People aren't supposed to gather, as you are aware."

"Yes, but I'd love to help you," Wendy said, holding up one of her two front hooves, "but I don't have any hands, as you can see."

"Yes, I know," the woman said. "But do come in."

"I was just out for my morning gallop and.... "

"Well, do come in and rest. There's some coffee...oh, and I think we have some jellybeans, too."

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't want to be a nuisance."

"No, no, you won't be, really."

"I don't want to get in your way," she said. But the woman was being so nice, and Wendy really did want to go inside and be with her.

"No, you won't be disturbing me one bit," she was saying, as she swung the door wide for Wendy to come in.

"I would help if I could." Wendy didn't want the woman to think she didn't want to help.

"You're helping already."

"I am?" Wendy said. "How am I helping you?" She hadn't done anything yet except come inside. How was that helping?

"It was very lonely here."

"Lonely? You were...lonely?" Wendy repeated. And, suddenly, she knew exactly what it was the woman was going to say next. And she was beginning to, again, feel some of the same good feelings she had felt when the church was full of people. The woman was telling her something that no one had ever said to Wendy before, and, maybe, it was the nicest thing she had ever heard.

"Yes, I was lonely...." the woman said, "until you came along."