"Shake it like a Polaroid Picture"

I was watching t.v. the other night when my brother commented on a commercial; he said the all too common phrase, "Everything must come to an end." At first, I nodded in agreement because it made sense at the time. Upon further reflection, though, I realized that I strongly dislike that phrase! No, everything must not/should not come to an end. Love, marriage, health, happiness. If those things didn't last, where would we be? In a loveless, marriage-less, unhealthy, sad world. That doesn't sound like music to my ears.

Deer Tracks

I won! Today (well, a few days ago) I finally coaxed my little brother into going for a run with me. He whined and tried to say he was too tired and had just run yesterday (first time in two months, might I add) so his legs were soar; it went on like this for a minute. I interjected and said, "Peter, it's only a 20 minute slow run!" I had him; he had not room to wiggle. Off we went. We are fortunate enough to have some dirt trails by our house, which I think are more adventuresome than pavement so I run on those as often as possible. While on them I usually run into more deer than humans which can make for some interesting situations. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed my slow-paced slosh through the mud. Peter talked the entire time despite saying how out of shape he is! Normally I run in silence, but this time I didn't mind the disruptions. He has started a new chapter in his life as he is attending college in the fall. While running over some deer tracks and listening to his story, it occurred to me just how mature he is. I have to be honest, I worry about him leaving and being on his own simply because he's my baby brother, but it's moments like these that I know he'll keep God close and therefore have a good head on his shoulders. My little guy is going to be fine; I mean what could go wrong at college?!

"Pew for one, Please!"

I went to noon Mass by myself today. Now, I've gone to Mass by myself before at UD and it's never a big deal. You look around, see familiar faces, notice others there by themselves, take a seat, and prepare for Mass. However, this time was different. Sadly, I felt an immense loneliness sitting in the pew having no one within arm's reach on either side. Normally, I have my family with me, a friend, or an acquaintance a few seats down; this time, no one. It was in this moment that I realized just how important a sense of community is when celebrating the Eucharist. "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst," Matthew 18:20 reads. No other time have those words resonated truer.