One thing that makes the South THE SOUTH is the obvious friendliness! 

When I first came to East Texas, I was surprised that everywhere I went, people spoke to me. They greeted me walking in or out of a supermarket. Dining in a restaurant, people coming by would always say “Hello”. 

Of course, I had seen the same sort of friendliness in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and in Ontario small towns. Folks in Newfoundland and on Vancouver Island are very welcoming. Torontonians are in a hurry, and not as friendly as they may have been when I was a kid. But Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and people are pretty friendly there as well. So, I have concluded that Texans are pretty affable people. 

Well, the other day, we lost one of our charter church members and today we had a reception after her funeral. 

Hubby wanted me to tell you about the wonderful meals that just seem to come together. Everybody makes or buys something delicious and brings it to the church. We all sit down and enjoy a wonderful meal. 

Hubby and I greeted at the main door today and received lots of hugs, even from people we had just met occasionally. 

I pointed out to some there for the first time, our window which is what we see from the congregation every Sunday. I thought they would like to see what their friend looked up at every Sunday. And she attended church every Sunday up until about three years ago when Alzheimer’s took over her brain and body. In fact, she used to greet at the door, making people feel welcome as they arrived Sunday morning. 

The colors in the window represent the church calendar year. The White represents Christmas and Epiphany, Purple is Lent, Scarlet is Holy Week, Easter is White, Pentecost is Red, Season after Pentecost is Green and Blue is Advent. In the center is the Dove of Peace. 

Our church is a very friendly church, even for this area. Everyone goes out of their way to make people feel welcome. 

When I first came here, everything was very new to me. The people of Angel of Joy were, in fact waiting for me. They probably wanted to see what Hubby had done, marrying a Crazy Canuck! Back then, we met at the Days Inn. So, twelve years ago, on a Wednesday night in Advent, coming up to Christmas, Keith and I went to one of the famous potluck suppers. 

I was amazed that everyone was greeting me with hugs and welcoming me into their group. I felt as though I belonged. I cannot say that I ever felt like an outsider. Some of the reason for that goes to Hubby who is well-loved and respected and a lot of if is the friendliness of the South! 

Now, you probably already know that I am a pretty outgoing person, so it is not really a stretch for me to be one of the ones welcoming newcomers. After twelve years, I guess I belong in the South!