Dear UCM Families, 

One of my family’s summer joys the past few years has been visiting a small, hidden frog pond on the corner of our road – so tucked away that most people pass by without noticing it. But as many of you know, one of the gifts of knowing children is that they notice the small miracles we adults often overlook.

Once discovered, my girls and I would visit almost daily to see what life was stirring in the midst of the murky water and tall grass. One day we counted 27 frogs, each a different size, shape and tapestry of browns and greens.

Then came the flooding in July 2024. Our entire road – and that corner teeming with frog life – was devastated: there were washed away sections, culverts destroyed, trees down, homes damaged. I know you know this part of the story all too well. There was only barren gray sand where the frog pond once was. And for months, my heart sank when I thought of the frogs and how their small, beautiful world was washed away by climate change.

Early this spring after the snow melt, there was water pooling at the corner, but no plants, no frogs. Then one moonlit evening a couple weeks ago as I walked our dog, I saw something round and bumpy in the clear water. I bent down—and yes, floating above the grey sand there was a sack of frog eggs! My heart lifted in a way it hadn’t for months. If something so small and fragile can return after such destruction, then surely life is more resilient than we imagine. Maybe even we are. Those tiny eggs were hope.

It’s in that spirit – of hope and beauty that calls us back to life – that I share our May events below. There’s so much happening at UCM right now, and each of us, like each little egg, gives reason to carry on with open hearts.

With gratitude,

Caitlin Frauton
Director of Spiritual Exploration