Labor Day is now a memory, another collection of events in my life. This Labor Day Weekend is the most memorable of my adult life. I enjoyed spending time with friends and family. This weekend was a time of sharing. Life continued moving at its steady ever increasing pace. But, for a brief instance everything stopped and I remembered to praise and give thanks to God.
At the center of the weekend, the beauty and image of a loving family gathered together to celebrate the matriarch’s sixty-ninth birthday warms my heart. Each person was there united to show respect, love, and good wishes to both the family and to the beautiful birthday lady.
What a wonderful lesson it was watching people working together, showing their concern, their vulnerability. What a beautiful evening it was viewed from the roof top of an office building in downtown Washington with awe inspiring views of the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, and other buildings on the skyline. Looking down at the US Capitol reflecting pool, surrounded by lights pleased me. I said several little prayers and I remembered seeing it from other angles, other perspectives.
At one point there was a discussion of where to attend Mass on Sunday. I was so pleased to have been invited but I had to decline because I was going to New York City. Immediately I was asked where I was going to attend Mass in New York? At Saint Patrick’s? I was also asked if I was still attending daily Mass. I made some feeble excuse about stopping in June.
Well, the question of daily Mass remained with me, in my heart and my mind. Luckily I had the internet connection and was able to locate a church within walking distance and was able to attend Sunday Mass, Monday Mass, and now I about to attend Tuesday 8:00 AM Mass.
Faith always needs encouragement. We have to remember to leave ourselves open to it.
In the crazy fast paced hurly-burly that is modern American life, any reason to spend time with loved ones should be cherished. Each second that we’re with those who love us is precious. Each time someone shows unconditional concern, unconditional love is beautiful. Our lives are filled with many sacred moments which are often missed because we are in a hurry, we are to busy to think and interpret the words.
A birthday party is a celebration for not just one person but for everyone present. Beyond the champagne and apple cider toasts, beyond the cake and candles, this birthday was about hope, remembering all the loved ones, both present and absent, alive and dead.
It was a celebration that gently highlighted a lifetime of beautiful sacrifices.
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