Today our children and our daughter-in-law are celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary at a house party. Thirty years ago we were on our honeymoon in Williamsburg, Virginia. While we might have foreseen a lengthy marriage, we did not anticipate a boy named Devin and a girl named Dara who lit up our lives in a way that only children can. Nor could we have imagined Devin’s wife Mandi and all the joy she has brought to our life too. Today Devin, Mandi, Dara and Shaun are working together to throw us a party. The good Lord has provided sunshine and warm weather too. There will be a number of people attending including my wife’s father and my mother. We have lost a couple parents in the last thirty years and grandparents too. We mourn their loss, but celebrate their spirit among us as its reflected in us all. Thank you for this day, these children, grown and married and an extended family that continues to grow.
A full and thankful heart
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and for many of us it has many meanings. My earliest recollections were trips to my grandmother’s home and dinner with all the cousins. Later in life it was dinner at Mom’s. Still later it was turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing in US Navy chow halls. Those years made made me long for the earlier ones. Eventually I got married and thanksgiving meant dinner at our home. My wife was the hostess for our extended families and our children. Grandpa Joe says grace and then we all dive in for turkey, corn, all the trimmings and pies too.
I woke up early this morning and began reading Gratefulness.org which is one of my favorite websites on the entire Internet. I started tweeting and sharing some of their links and stories about the positive effects of Gratefulness. I dozed off again for a few hours and then re-awakened around 8:30AM. to my surprise a couple of those tweets were retweeted and the circle of Gratefulness was extended to at least 2300 others and God only knows who else will retweet again. This demonstrates the power of gratitude and social networks.
Today I’m grateful to God as I understand him and to my lovely wife and children which now include our lovely daughter-in-law. They are tangible evidence of his love and abundance. I’m grateful for my co-workers who continue to inspire me each day. I’m grateful for their patient encouragement which inspired me to return to college a couple of years ago and to graduate in May 2011 from St. Bonaventure University at the top of my class. I’m grateful to my boss, Michelle, a beautiful lady who supported me through four internships and continues to lovingly mentor me. I’m grateful to all the lovely ladies, Jessica, Greta & Katie who took me on as an intern along the way. I’m grateful to my professors and fellow students who encouraged a reluctant student to find my way. I’m grateful for the many Franciscan mentors who help to animate my life each day.
I’m grateful for my Mom who never gave up on me and continues to buoy my spirit when I get blue. I’m most grateful to my wife who has truly been God’s agent in my life. She continues to provide inspiration, love and an occasional kick in the butt to keep me on course. My blessings are so many this day that I cannot count them all. I’m closing this post with one of my favorite prayers that hangs on the wall at Mt. Irenaeus
It is not you that shapes God
it is God that shapes you.
If you are the work of God
await the hand of the artist
who does all things in due season.
Offer Him your heart,
soft and tractable,
and keep the form
in which the artist has fashioned you.
Let your clay be moist,
lest you grow hard
and lose the imprint of his fingers.
– St. Irenaeus
Peace to all and Happy Thanksgiving!
Grateful
Tonight I’m spending an overnight with our son & lovely daughter-in-law. They’re taking good care of the older generation. It’s my first stay with them since their recent marriage. I’m in the area for the 2011 NYSCATE conference. I had a great day at the conference a great meal at Dinosaur BBQ with friends and fellow Ed techers
Tonight I’m sleeping in a lovely home owned in part by a son I once held in my arms. Life is like that isn’t it. God has been good to me. Thanks to Devin & Mandi for welcoming me into their home.
Holy Ghost
Curiosity got the best of me and I had to see where our son will be married in a bit over a month. I pray a lot and especially for the children. When Devin first moved to the Rochester area a little over 5 years ago I prayed that Our Lady would watch over him and protect him. I prayed too that he would meet a young lady who would bring wholeness to his life. Both of those prayers have been abundantly answered. But, until today I’d never been to the church where they will be married. There in front of me as I turned off the road is the Holy Ghost Church & a shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes. How prophetic, beautiful and fitting is that. Ave Maria gratia plena.
A thousand words
It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Tonight my wife organized a picnic for my mother-in-law who has been a patient in a local nursing care facility for almost a year now. It was really great picnic and was attended by our two nieces one of whom is pictured hugging me. Her name is Reanna and like her sister Danae came to our family almost ten years ago. They are precious young ladies and tonight was one of those special moments. She loves to tell “knock-knock” jokes and I was playing along with her which pleased her. Today was a day when I needed a hug from an angel and Reanna provided that assurance.
Happy Fourth
We are still enjoying the heat and near constant sun. It’s a nice change of pace from our home where we have long periods of overcast and cold in the winter. I’ve long enjoyed South Carolina dating to the late 1970’s when I first experienced their abundant warmth and hospitality. I had hoped to squeeze in a couple of side trips but family must come first. We’re all getting older and time together is more important. I’ll have to schedule another trip to get in my other sightseeing. It’s 95F here today and that heat can be oppressive if you don’t move slow I’ve always loved being near the water and spending the last few days lakeside have been a treat. I’d like to canoe or try a small sailer like the one crossing the cove just now. I’ve written often lately of being refreshed by still waters and Lake Murray is part of that journey.
Wednesday will see us heading home but I’ll carry these memories with me for a long time.
Gates Creek
Gates Creek flows next to Riverside Drive in Franklinville, New York. Tonight I was out walking with my wife and we wandered over to the creek to see how it looked after all the recent rains. It was deeper than usual but not muddy as I expected. Diane used to bring the children here to cool off on hot summer days. Those days are long gone and now there are only great memories.
Saturday
I think Saturday is my favorite day of the week. It’s always fun to get up a bit later, make a cup of coffee or tea and then have some cereal with honey. It’s really the only day I eat breakfast. I’m not sure how I got in that habit, but I’ve been living this way for most of my adult life. Just a cup of coffee or tea most mornings and then out the door to work. Saturday is different. I love a nice bowl of cereal with honey. When I was a young boy I didn’t care for honey. I started liking honey in the mid-twenties and it’s been that way ever since. Honey goes well with tea, makes a great sandwich with peanut butter and is my preferred sweetener for cereal. This Saturday is particularly nice. Our daughter is home for an overnight and it’s such a lovely day. A lovely blue sky, full sun and family. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Where to begin
This year has been busy and positive. A year ago I was thinking retirement and now, well let’s say that’s no longer part of my vocabulary. I planned none of it and have just gone where the spirit has led. We just spent a weekend in Rochester celebrating our little boy’s 26th birthday and enjoying the incredibly warm weather too. Good food and good friends too. Meeting Devin’s girl friend’s family and enjoying a special dinner with them too. Easter breakfast at Jines on Park Avenue and then a leisurely drive home through the Genesee River valley with a stop in Piffard at Abbey of the Genesee. Some quite time in the chapel and then a walk around the grounds. Time with Our Lady of the Genesee and then a quiet drive through Letchworth Park. All this topped off with a leek dinner at my wife’s parent’s home.
Today is yet another day of leisure as we reap the benefits of no snow days in our calendar this season. I’m planning a drive to St. Elizabeth’s Motherhouse in nearby Allegany and a visit to their gift shop. Looking for a medal of St. Anthony of Padua for Devin. Anthony has become Devin’s new patron. Happy Easter and Passover to everyone. Peace and all good too!
Lake Murray
We’ve been spending the last few days in sunny South Carolina thanks to the hospitality of my brother and his family. It’s been thirteen years since our last visit to Lake Murray. It is a lovely lake and a wonderful experience heightened by the fact that it’s something we don’t get to do as much as we used to. Eleven us of sharing the same home, waterfront, dock and water-craft. We’ve spent an entire summer in Western New York where we’ve been hard pressed to have two consecutive days of sunshine. Here the sun is present everyday and the air temperatures hover in the mid-ninety’s and water temperatures in the high eighties. Mom is with us too. We’re all getting older but Mom is the oldest at eighty-two. She’s been a little sick and she’s getting frail. We spent many summers at the ocean as youngsters and Mom was there swimming and watching us to make sure we didn’t wander too far into the Atlantic surf. Now we her children watch her to make sure that her needs are met. It’s great to have her along. It’s great too to be with our immediate family. It’s been a half-dozen years since we were on a family vacation. Our family, my brother’s family and my sister and her husband too. This is a special time and one that I’ll remember for a long time.