And so once again I shall use the Spanish custom of consuming 12 grapes for the occasion of New Year's as a guide to reflect on what happened in my life in 2017. While certainly not an exhaustive list, it covers a lot of ground in regards to the major highlights.
Grape #1, trip to Florida: Certainly it was wonderful escaping to warm and sunny conditions evocative of summer there. But it was also great being at the celebration of the marriage of my brother Eric and sister-in-law Naomi, and meeting her family. I also enjoyed visiting with Linda, and just soaking what Florida has to offer along the Atlantic Coast. And it was one of three trips by train this year.
Grape #2, trip to North Myrtle Beach, SC: I had a fine time being with my extended family to celebrate my Abuela' turning 80. And it was the second of three trips by train.
Grape # 3, my trip to the Pacific Northwest: What an action-packed adventure I had, soaking in the sights along the route of the Empire Builder, Seattle and Washington; Vancouver, BC; and Oregon, not to mention a fabulous time visiting with Roy. With this trip following on the heels of my South Carolina trip, I was able to experience the country literally from coast to coast within a matter of days, with my first visit to the Pacific Ocean. It stirred in me a greater enamorment for my country. It was also so fitting to visit Canada in the year when it marked the 150th Anniversary since the British North America Act took effect--and I joined in the celebration on July 1 by attending a concert at Millennium Park featuring the Canadian Brass. Going to Canada was also the first chance I had to use my US passport, which I got for the first time this year. And by riding the Empire Builder to the Pacific Northwest, I reconnected with a great trip by train my family had 20 years ago. (And all three of these trips gave me a chance to send out postcards, as a way to share the trip with family and friends.)
Grape #4, being a train engineer: After having enjoyed train rides so much, especially with three of them in the first half of 2017, I had a thrilling time getting in an engine and learning how to operate it during a visit to the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum.
Grape #5, returning to Valparaiso University for the Christ College Golden Anniversary celebration: There's a certain kind of special feeling that swells inside me when I go back to this place that had a significant role in my life, and I certainly felt it when I was there on September 30 to celebrate a remarkable part of the university community. It reminded me of why Christ College was a special part of my college experience, as I engaged thoughtfully in discussions of what it means to be human.
Grape #6, serving as an election judge in local elections: I had a great time serving my community and interacting with local citizens participating in the democratic process of the republic, this time around as it pertained to our local area.
Grape #7, working with volunteers at the Oak Park Public Library: I enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the volunteers doing shelf reading/organizing at the library, because being a library volunteer as a teen was a great way I got involved in the community. I started working with the volunteers as a paid staff person back during the summer, and it came as part of a promotion that I received in the department. Following it came the opportunity to do work at the Chicago NERA office before starting full-time work at the Orland Park Public Library just a little over a month ago.
Grape #8, the ALA Conference in Chicago: One highlight was attending a session where teens offered feedback on books nominated for an award for teen books, including teens who were part of the volunteer program the Oak Park Public Library. Another highlight was attending Ron Chernow's presentation, and then getting the chance, after a long wait in line, to get his autograph on an advance copy of his Grant biography, as well as the Hamilton biography I got as a gift from Eric and Naomi on Nativity Day 2016. (This conference made headlines when Hillary Clinton was the keynote speaker at the closing session, as she extolled the importance of libraries in our US society.)
Grape #9, the birth of my cousin Micah: It was exciting to welcome in another member of the family, and it was especially beautiful meeting him on the Eve of the Nativity just a week ago when his lovely family came to the family dinner we were having.
Grape #10, marking 25 years in Oak Park: My home is so dear to me, and it was with great delight I celebrated this special milestone anniversary. And how fitting it was that in this calendar year I got to visit the new OPRF History Museum that opened in the summer after extensive work lasting over two years to rehabilitate the space it now occupies. It's an impressive place to see after having stopped by to view the progress at various intervals. The new museum helps me get a better sense of what this place is that I have called home for a quarter-century.
Grape #12, my continued involvement with Religious Education: I realize I mention this each time I write my grapes of reflection post, and I'm delighted to say that I have something new and wonderful to share each time. I was delighted to spend time with the 8th graders in the 2016-17 RE year that I started with in 2015 when they were in 7th grade. And now, in the 2017-18 year, I continue teaching 8th grade with another set of amazing students. I've made some very strong connections with my students, especially in the time I spent with them at a post-Confirmation retreat in March with the 2016 group, and then with the 2017 group at the 2nd annual Holy Fire, and then a week later, the great celebration of their Confirmation. And I reinforced those connections attending plays at Brooks Middle School, which featured some of my students. Seeing The Lion King was a true highlight because it is a great story with such profound insights. The Little Mermaid was excellent, too, and reconnected me with a college class in which we watched the Disney movie version of that story and then discussed it.
My involvement with teaching Religious Education underscores how faith is such an important part of my life, and how vibrant my faith continues to be, like it was nearly 4 1/2 years ago when I graduated from ValpU, where it was rekindled anew. Somehow, even with all the challenges and difficulties I've faced, my faith still remains vibrant as ever, and overall helps me upkeep a positive outlook on life. And it's why I come to the end of this year with an upbeat view of the year as a whole, like I typically do when I reach New Year's Eve. It makes me think of the musical Hamilton, in which the characters sing about how lucky they are to be alive--I was fortunate to attend that musical with my Grandma and see the history of the early United States come alive on stage. I know I'm blessed because, by faith, I know God is real, active in my life.
And I've reached new frontiers in faith life, with my first time attending Mass outside the United States at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver, and a new record for the earliest I've ever attended Mass, at about 6:10 in the morning at St. Mary of Celle in Berwyn on the Feast day of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe on December 12.
All of this takes place, and is enriched by, the context of community and relationships. Indeed, Mass is all about our coming together as the Body of Christ to be strengthened and renewed by an encounter with His presence, so we can make His presence known in the world. I extended the sense of community beyond the weekends to Monday evening gatherings with a faith-sharing group during the weeks of Lent with an awesome group of people. We had some great discussions about the Gospel readings, and the life of faith itself. And Ascension Parish celebrated the power of coming together as one in prayer marking 25 years of monthly Taize Prayer Services. It was also very meaningful to see Roman Catholics and Lutherans come together for dialogue and prayer in commemorating 500 years since the 95 Theses. Attending a panel discussion for this occasion at Concordia University Chicago was definitely a highlight of this year.
This idea of the impact of joining together as the Body of Christ is what I have been seeking to impart to my RE students, especially as I did in class the week before Confirmation. I played for them "I Believe", a song written for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, with an English version sung by Nikki Yanofsky. (Her image appears around 1:58 in the video. Please feel free to view this one or either of the other two versions below.)
It appears it was performed at the closing ceremony of 2010 Olympics, but I don't remember it, so it was like encountering it for the first time when I stumbled upon it over the summer, and I quickly became obsessed with it. As I listened to it, I knew that the lyrics spoke volumes to the life of faith. Sometimes we tread a path that's lonely, and seems to counter everything the world tells us. But God wills us to be the best for His Glory. And great power is unleashed when we come together as one, as the one body of Christ, "the power of you and I"--and yes, I recognize the song's lyrics are grammatically incorrect, but Nikki sure makes it sound great. This power is like "an invincible force", which is the French version of the song, performed by Annie Villeneuve. I told my students that the Holy Spirit is "an invincible force" within them, and with it, "nothing can stop them", so that they can make not just the world proud, but make God proud.
Around the time when I was in transition between jobs back in November, I stumbled upon a bilingual version sung by the Utah-based One Voice youth choir. This performance of it totally mesmerized me, and furthermore offered me great encouragement, in a way I can't fully explain.
The song also speaks to being the change we wish to see in the world, and standing tall for what's right, and standing tall as we make an impact.
Those lyrics offer a great vision for us as we go forth from 2017 into 2018, as we seek to make the world a better place, and do it together, because ultimately, life is enhanced by relationships, and the investments we make in them are ones that are long-lasting. In fact, all the experiences I shared in the 12 grapes above, as well as many other memorable happenings in 2017, all have to do with relationships.
So I end this year in gratitude that reaches even unto God for all those who were involved in making 2017 so special, who have demonstrated to me "the power of you and I."
No comments:
Post a Comment