Well, we’ve arrived at the last day of another tumultuous year. I just got back from a ten day trip to see my family in California, and it was so good to be together. Other than my sister, I haven’t been been able to see everyone in almost two years, thanks to the pandemic. There are more than thirty of us in my immediate family, and I had the chance to spend time with just about everyone. In fact, we had big and small gatherings just about every day, with dinners, lunches, morning walks, trips to gardens, museums, and the beach. We’re an active group, and we enjoy each other’s company, which I guess is a major feat given our numbers.
Although my mother passed away several years ago, we carry on her legacy of throwing a party for just about any occasion, especially birthdays. Sadly, since the pandemic began, I’ve only been able to join in via zoom, which pales in comparison to being physically present. My mom also liked to go to Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA. On Sunday mornings, it’s a short drive from the house where I grew up. So last weekend my sister and I went there for Mass, and while looking at the nativity near the sanctuary, I was struck by the facial expression of the angel in this photo. “Awe” was all I could think of, and I don’t think in all my travels I’ve seen an angel’s face so beautifully captured.
Although it’s good to be back home in Maryland, I’m already looking forward to heading out to California in the not too distant future. Ever since I moved to the East Coast, I really never felt homesick until I began getting ready to fly West. These past two years had left me in a kind of permanent homesickness, and now that feeling has been broken, I’m praying that this pandemic will loose it’s grip on just about everything and everyone, and we can move forward boldly and without fear. That’s my prayer this last day of 2021, and please Lord, let it come quickly.
May God bless you and those you love in the New Year soon to be upon us.
