Moving on up...

I have a friend named Jarred who I have known since we met at the bus stop on the first day of kindergarten. We grew up on the same long street in our town and his mom used to send him to walk up the street and knock on my door and pick me up and then walk me back to the bus stop (the bus stop was in between our 2 houses).

I was always a sucker for a gentleman, even at age 5. We’ve remained friends to this very day, experiencing varying levels of closeness over the years, but I think that whenever it’s possible to do so, we always come back to the people who really count and those who are comfortable and close.

Jarred has experienced a lot of restlessness over the years. I can’t say that I’ve ever really understood it because I am much more of a “bloom where planted” type and he is much more of a “looking for the next big thing” type. Jarred has had many jobs over the years, none of them ever in corporate America—until now.

He announced to me last week, via a text message no less, that he has accepted an advertising job in South Orange, NJ. It gave him 3 weeks to find an apartment for himself and his 2 dogs, relocate his entire life, and put his townhouse on the market (for those of you keeping track, this is indeed the very same townhouse that was featured on the short-lived television series “Design Invasion,” where Jarred’s dad and I were the accomplices in “surprising” Jarred and redecorating his home in one day. I have the tape of the episode in our “life archives” if anyone still never saw the show the 20 times it aired on Fox).

We spoke at length this weekend and he has found an apartment in Montclair. He had a garage sale on Saturday! He starts moving this coming weekend. His house is on the market as of a few days ago. Everything is happening and happening fast. He is excited but also nervous, of course. He asked me to come visit. Of course I will—I have a feeling I might actually see him more often now that he is moving farther away.

I give him a lot of credit for making such a significant change in his life—new job and moving, that’s two huge life stressors at once! It’s funny for me, because of all my friends I thought I would be the one to move away—I never thought that I would wind up living in South Jersey on a permanent basis after college. Please, and not only do I still live in South Jersey, I live in the same town that I grew up. Out of everyone, I wound up being the townie! Well, for now at least. Who knows where life may take me, right?

Jarred always was a risk taker to some degree. In some areas he succeeded and in some he didn’t, but he always steps up and tries, and I admire that in him. I need to take a cue from him. Everyone please keep Jarred in your prayers as he prepares for this big life change—that God guide him in his endeavors and keep him safe.

One random thought as I close: Trish shared this tidbit of info with me today via e-mail. At three minutes and four seconds after 2 AM on the 6th of May this year, the time and date will be 02:03:04 05/06/07. This will never happen again..

Tragedy in Virginia...

It just doesn’t get much sadder to me than the times when we are able to visibly see how much pain people are in in this world.

How much must a person be screaming inside to resort to killing other people--many, if not all of them, randomly. Think about this. Think about what point your life would have to reach for you to resort to such actions. Could you never see yourself resorting to such actions? If not, then think about what makes you different than this young man in Virginia.

I’ll tell you one thing. Our world is hurting and our world is wounded because a lot of people are broken—mentally broken, physically broken, emotionally broken, and so on. People are literally crying out to be noticed, helped, healed, and a lot of people just don’t want to be bothered to minister to one another because everyone is so busy with their own “stuff.”

Our society has devolved so significantly in the past 50 years or so that no one has support systems anymore. No one stands up for the things that matter like moral values, family focus, a “village” mentality (where all of the adults in a neighborhood act as “parents” to all of the children, and all the children listen to and respect all adults), none of it. Everyone is so busy minding their own business and allowing everyone their freedom of this and that that no one is willing to stand up for anything anymore and people like this obviously hurting, obviously broken, and obviously sick man in Virginia are left to fight a losing battle with their demons.

Why do we no longer demand better for ourselves and one another?

Only a merciful God can help this college and town heal after such a terrible event. Only a merciful God can help deliver us from evil, especially the evil we as a society create and watch and allow to perpetuate. God help us.

Asking for forgiveness when it's due...

Last week I went to confession and the day after I had gone, I knew there was something else that I needed to do while we still had a couple of days of Lent left. I took the opportunity to ask for forgiveness from an old friend of mine who I no longer speak to. It's really not easy for me to admit when I am wrong (it's definitely one of my biggest character flaws, especially since I am always so sure I am right!).

In this case, it wasn't wrong that we parted ways, but the way I went about it was all wrong. I didn't feel like I am necessarily supposed to go back to the way things were in the past with this person, but I did feel like I owed someone who I used to call my friend, and a close one at that, some sort of explanation of why I did what I did and extend an apology for any confusion and hurt feelings she may have felt at my hands. I also wanted her to know she was not singled out and that I actually stepped away from from quite a few people last year.

The e-mail that I sent her was, thankfully, well received and she is doing well and I feel good in knowing that my old friend and I are actually better people on the other side of this past year. Even though we are no longer fixtures in one another's lives, we still pray for one another and want each other to be blessed and happy. And, if and when our paths cross again we will be happy to see each other and not feel weird or nervous about how the other may feel or react.

Sometimes by admitting we have done something wrong we can actually make things very right. Kind of like the sacrament of Confession in a way, no?

Happy Easter

Today begins what the Church calls the Triduum (three days). This is my last day of work this week and I will be in church tonight, Friday afternoon, and for a few hours on Saturday night for the Easter Vigil Mass (Fr Pat goes all out for the Easter vigil and the mass is very long).

A lot of people don't go to the Easter Vigil mass because they can't bear being in church that long, which, if you think about it, is a crying shame considering the fact that we are celebrating the fact that Jesus suffered and died for our sins (and rose again!). The least we can do is sacrifice some time.

I am cooking Easter dinner this year (I am not quite sure how this happened, since we usually just go out, but I felt inspired). My parents, Cathi, and Terry will be coming.

I hope that all of you who will also be celebrating Easter will have a blessed holiday surrounded by the company of the people you love.

Christ is risen, He is tuly risen!