Weekend Thoughts

I made a quick trip home to Philadelphia this weekend to visit my parents and attend a friend's graduation. While at the graduation ceremonies, I happened to encounter a high school classmate; we recognized each other immediately and caught up on what we've been up to since the last time we randomly met, at a social justice convention in fall of 2008. I also shared a morning run with my dad, a shopping trip with my mom, and a visit to my sister's new place. The weather was cool and rainy, but time and conversation shared with family and friends far outshone the mild gloom of a stretch of May showers.

During the rainy drive back to Worcester this afternoon, I found myself not only grateful for the time at home, but also glad to be returning home to my Jesuit community (as usual) and my work at Nativity (a pleasant change). Somehow my involvement in both the exceptional– a graduate school commencement, a large baccalaureate Mass in a basketball arena, and dinner in a newly vibrant Philadelphia neighborhood– as well as the ordinary– a six-mile circuit around my neighborhood, the purchase of a few clothing items, a tour of my sister's townhouse– reminded me of the joys, connections, and inspirations to be found in the marvelous and the mundane here in central Massachusetts.

Though the school year is winding down, I think that some new and vital graces– hinted at in the events of this weekend– might finally be taking root and gaining some traction in the often-busy landscape of my life. I certainly hope so. At the very least, I have some new reminders, thanks to some leftovers from my mom's gardening, and the now-retired shoes that carried me through the 2010 Boston Marathon. It's supposed to be a cool and rainy week here in Worcester, so until better conditions for outdoor photography return, an indoor sign of spring will have to suffice.