Double Digits

Double Digits

When I was young, one of my father’s favorite “dad jokes” was to look forward to my 10th birthday and talk about how I would turn, “double digits”. When I was 9, the anticipation of “double digits” really grew. At that age, I don’t think that I could fully comprehend the significance of a decade of life, but I instinctively felt that something special was about to happen.

Next summer, I will turn double digits at UUCC. At 51, the significance of a decade is not lost on me. Prior to joining the staff at UUCC (Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia), I spent a large portion of my life as a theatre nomad hopping from theatre to theatre, gig to gig. It was rare that I was with any one community for longer than 3 months. The idea of being anywhere for 10 years never even occurred to me, and, truth be told, when I came to UUCC, I never envisioned that I would stay so long. But now that I’m on the precipice of turning 10, I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

It is a privilege to be invited to share in the life of this congregation and in the lives of those who inhabit it. I have been around to witness the birth of congregants, and then, still be around when they lose their first tooth. I have mentored teens along the way and then, years later, been invited to coffee with them to hear about their marriage, their thriving career, and their memories of UUCC. This was the community that I weathered the pandemic with and now, I watch as the congregation comes back reinvigorated, working through challenges and reevaluating the vision. I have worked with multiple iterations of our staff, each one unfailingly dedicated to treating one another with dignity and respect. It has been almost a decade and the work is still challenging, inspiring and full of surprises. I never expected to stay so long but, as they say, time flies when you’re having fun.

At Sunday services when it is my turn to present the Time for All Ages, I begin by introducing myself. There have been a few versions of this introduction over the years, but one Sunday, without thinking, I found my truth and it goes something like this, “My name is Kelli Danaker, my pronouns are she/her, and it is my joy to serve as the Religious Education Assistant at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia.”

With Gratitude,
Kelli

11 Comments

  1. Charles Scott

    You are a wonderful influence on “all ages.” Inspiring, hopeful, enthusiastic, and all around fun to know. Thanks for sharing your life with us. You make ours better!❤️
    Scotty

  2. Paula J Linn

    Hi Kelli, I met you Sunday while pretending to be the elevator operator outside the Children’s Center. I didn’t introduce myself and thought this would be a good way to do so. I was staff from 2004 to 2008 and had not ever worked in the same place more than 3 years. Working for UUCC was a joy for me and the people I met were all wonderful. I’m hoping to meet more of the “new faces” as I get more involved.

  3. Laurie Coltri

    I’m so glad you’re double digits at UUCC!

    One of the things you shared puts me in mind of my own experiences. I’m now “double double digits” — in January we celebrated our 20th Anniversary at UUCC. One of my weird and wonderful thrills is to see people our daughters babysat as infants downstairs now becoming adults!!

    May you celebrate double and triple double digits with us!

  4. Regina Verow

    What a joy it is to have you as part of our community. But I don’t believe it’s been ten years, I’m pretty sure you and I are squarely in our mid-thirties. 😉

    Thank you for this lovely piece and for all you have been and done for us. We are grateful for YOU!

    Love you!

  5. Betty Myers

    Hi Kelli,
    So glad you double digit with us! You bring a lot of soul and joy to this congregation, for which I am thankful.

  6. Lindsay Thompson

    Kelli – your energy, enthusiasm and professionalism are such a joy. Thank you for choosing us!

  7. Norman D Hazzard

    Kelli, we just love your “Time for all Ages.” It is clear that your earlier career as an actor makes your presentations appear so professional! You are enthusiastic, cheerful, kind, and you know all the children! They respond to you so well–and so do we all!

  8. Kathy Parker

    Kelli — You are wonderful. I am so happy that you can’t imagine being anywhere else after 10 years than at UUCC. It’s a treasure to have you be who you are with us!

  9. Gene Somers

    Kelli
    You are a joy to be around. You always have a smile, and it is a pleasure and a privilege for us to have you with us.
    We look forward to seeing you and being with you.
    Love
    Gene Somers

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