Blessed at this Moment

This past Saturday I returned to my college to share in the retirement of a wonderful acting teacher. While there I got to see so many of my old college friends, most of whom I had not seen since college (I'll have more on that in a later post). I felt so lucky to have retained these friendships over the last two decades.

Then this Sunday I went to mass and, as I scanned the pews of the church, realized just how blessed we were. My wife and I started getting more involved in our church a few years ago and, because of this, we now have a large group of truly wonderful people that we can call friends... a faith community.

I looked from my pew to see my wife, singing in the Lifeteen band among her generous band mates, including the band leader, Cathy with her daughter Tiffany. Cathy's husband Greg in the pew in front of me, running the sound board. Their son Matt on the altar as one of the altar servers. My wife also sings in the band with Alexa and Terry who, along with the rest of their family, prayed for vocations with the Elijah Cup for a month straight.

I continued my watch, past my mother and father-in-laws sitting next to me and across the church where I could see most of the families involved in our Renew bible group that meets once a month... Nick and his family, Sara and Ted and their sons and Hugh's family. Nick I also see at the little league field with his family and I recently went to a DRays game with Sara and Ted.

I continue my gaze to spot all of the fellow homeschooling families and teens (over forty people in all) who have become a special part of our lives and who offer us genuine affectionate hugs after every mass. And then there are the Millers and Kelleys with whom we spend every Sunday night in an additional bible study and with whom we spend Tuesday mornings at mass with a priest, Father Mike, who has become very dear to us.

And I realized just how blessed we are... just how special this time in our lives really is... and how I shouldn't take it for granted. Things will change. People will move. Bible studies will end. Children will grow and bonds will dissipate. But right now, this moment, I looked across that church and felt like an integral part of this faith community. I felt blessed beyond my worth.

For however brief this lasts, I will cherish it and recognize it for what it is... something very rare and very special.