Memories

This is a time of the year when memories take on a poignant shading: memories of Tommy, memories of 9/11. I find myself more aware of the connections between past and present, between people, between choices and results.

This morning I received an email from a lovely young women that I probably would not know if it weren't for our shared grief.

We both lost younger brothers that dark day. A connection.

Our brothers happened to be friends.  

Another connection.

Later this morning I received a call from a woman who wanted to donate an item as a prize for our memorial golf outing. She saw a poster I had created and felt a connection.

She lost a friend that day.

We sometimes think we are all alone, but life has shown me how very shared even the most painful of moments can be - if we open ourselves to the sharing. To the connections.

As the wild deer longs for water...

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te Deus. - Psalm 42

On this sunny Sunday morning, I spy small miracles all around me that refresh my tired spirit:

Bright yellow, starry flowers on a cucumber plant long given up for gone

New tiny green tomatoes

The sweet banter of the early morning birds

And these tiny white flowers, which are growing wild in the "landscaped" area at our local train station (an area in which they simply plopped random assortments of shrubbery two years back, and now neglect completely)

And a completely random overhearing of Palestrina's "Sicut Cervus" as I passed by a small church on my way to the train.

As the wild deer longs for water, so do I long for you, Lord!