Grapes of Reflection 2021

This time of year stirs my heart because the act of reflection resonates with me deeply, and I do it often on this blog.  Even in a year that continued to be marked by the challenges of the pandemic and then some, probing deeply helps me feel a profound sense of gratitude and joy for this year.  We were still able to make things happen, like how the Olympics were still held after a year's delay, and the event certainly inspired me.  Additionally, I think about how even having my wisdom teeth removed gave me a different perspective on pain, with a purpose, and how we can still attain to the goodness that is all around us.  And so now, I reflect on this year of 2021 in the spirit of a Spanish custom of eating 12 grapes at the changing of the year.

Grape #1- I typically publish this post on my blog on New Year's Eve, and based on the time I'm doing it today, I haven't had the chance yet to write about the big event that's concluding 2021 for me that is happening later in the day, the wedding of Heather and Zach, my great friend from ValpU.  It's a special way to end the year by reconnecting with a great friend at an important time in his life.  (I may very well write something on my blog in the near future, so please stay tuned.)

Grape #2- The wedding of Leslie and Tyler was special as an opportunity to reconnect with ValpU friends and to also enhance my experience of the Roman Catholic sacramental life at the first wedding Mass I ever attended in my life.

Grape #3- My trip to Florida was a great time with family, enjoying the subtropical climate, and wonderful sightseeing, with a day-long layover in Washington, D.C. on the way back, as I enjoyed riding the rails.

Grape #4- My trip to Dallas in July was a fabulous opportunity to visit another presidential museum, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and to reconnect with my years growing up.  It was another great ride on Amtrak, and reconnecting with my first trip to Texas back in 2013.

Grape #5- I got to enjoy so much wonderful sightseeing on my Missouri road trip as part of celebrating its Bicentennial.  I also enjoyed reconnecting with the storm chase trip of May 2011 with a short visit to Miami, OK.  (I also had some good audiobooks for my listening pleasure while on the road.)

Grape #6- I had a great time on a day trip outing to central Wisconsin, especially to see Father Kevin on the first anniversary of his ordination.

Grape #7- I visited many other churches in 2021, which was a wonderful way to connect with places that hold some special meaning, and to reconnect with people there, like Father Ted, when I went to visit him the day after the 11th anniversary of his ordination.

Grape #8- Election Day on April 6 was another excellent day of serving my local community in southern Oak Park, especially fellow Ascension Parishioners, which included families I know from Religious Education.  I even had the pleasure of interacting with two first-time voters.  

Grape #9- Open House Chicago 2021 was an excellent weekend of sightseeing in Chicago, and I enhanced the experience by serving as a volunteer at the Nichols Tower.

Grape #10- Among the special family occasions I marked was the 5th wedding anniversary of Naomi and my brother Eric and Grandma Dottie's birthday at 90, with a special family lunch.  And my cousin Jenny in Colorado married back on July 14.

Grape #11- There were many other anniversaries of big events I marked throughout 2021, and one that stands out specially for me is Amtrak's 50th Anniversary on May 1.  The occasion reminded me of why I enjoy train travel so much, and how it inspires me as I take a different pace to really see the USA as I pass through it traveling from one place to another.  Fortunately, I enjoyed two Amtrak trips this year.

Grape #12- Every year of Religious Education brings something special.  Back in February, Confirmation day greatly inspired me, showing that even in the challenges of the pandemic, God is still at work.  And I marvel at how I continue to see Him at work so far in the 2021-22 RE year, and the wonderful connections I'm forging with this year's group of students.

I remain immensely grateful for the work I see God doing through my efforts in Religious Education, because it brings me most in tune with what's most important in life, encountering God, and giving of myself, especially so that others can encounter Him.  Indeed, I have found such a vital sense of purpose in life as I participate in the life of the church community, particularly with Religious Education.  IT speaks to the abundant life that Jesus desires for all of us to experience as we grow in relationship with Him.  And the reality of our relationship with God is something that nothing can touch.

It was definitely no accident, but a divinely-ordinated arrangement of circumstances that my birthday this year, March 16, when I turned 30, was on a Tuesday when I had class scheduled.  Even though I wasn't physically present to celebrate with my students, it was fitting that I was still gathered with them over Zoom to make part of my birthday celebration something that had brought so much meaning to the most recent of my 30 years.  Furthermore, during that class, I discussed Theology of the Body, the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II that describe the purpose for which God created us.

Fully aware of the ultimate reason for purpose in life, revealed in so many ways this year, I go forth into a new year while concluding this year with deep and joyful gratitude:  Thanks be to God!

Here I am posing at the clock floor piece at Chicago Union Station. Thanks to the fellow visitor who took this photo.

2021 News and Events in Review

The year 2021 started with the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president and Kamala Harris as vice president, the first woman in that office, and the first person of African-American and Asian-American heritage in that office.  The inauguration happened smoothly after a tumultuous post-election period, with a mob storming the US capitol on the day the US Congress met to certify the election.

President Biden turned the US government in an about-face direction from many of President Trump's policies, like the US government's response to the ongoing pandemic.  He also withdrew US forces from Afghanistan, just before the 20th anniversary of September 11, but many US citizens and others friendly to US interests were left behind as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan again.

Furthermore, Presdient Biden had a drastically different approach to many social issues, like LGBTQ advocacy and abortion.  Much discussion ensued on his standing to receive communion as a Roman Catholic because of his strong support for abortion, especially after his meeting with Pope Francis.  The US bishops discussed a document on Eucharistic coherence and their two meetings, in June and November, along with plans to implement a Eucharistic revival.

Two high-profile cases on state laws regarding abortion were taken up by the US Supreme Court.  The first was a Texas law, which was on the Supreme Court's docket in December, and then in December, the court addressed the Dobbs vs. Jackson case regarding a Mississippi law.

An effort in the fall veto session of the Illinois General Assembly repealed the Parental Notification Act, and Governor Pritzker signed it into law on December 17.

California's gubernatorial recall election was on September 14, and Governor Newsom was able to stay in office.

President Biden wasn't the only new leader in the world in 2021.  After multiple elections, Israel got a new prime minister, Naftali Bennett.  Angela Merkel ended her time as Germany's Chancellor, a position in which she served from 2005 to 2021.   

Barbados became a Republic, thereby ending Elizabeth's reign as Queen of Barbados, with Sandra Mason transitioning from her role as Governor-General to President of Barbados.  

After allegations of misconduct ended the tenure of Julie Payette as Canada's Governor-General back in January, Mary Simon was appointed, and then invested in July.  She is the first indigenous Canadian to hold the office.  Many concerns were raised that she lacked sufficient French language skills.  Soon after she was installed, Prime Minister Trudeau asked her to call for elections, wanting to give the Canadian people an opportunity to speak their minds about the direction of their government, and he hoped to increase his party's power in the House of Commons.  Opponents balked that Prime Minister Trudeau was engaging in political activity rather than focusing on addressing the pandemic and other concerns.  His party didn't really gain many more seats in the elections held on September 20.

In Oak Park, Anan Abu-Taleb concluded his time as President of the Oak Park Village Board of Trustees in early May, and Vicki Scaman became the new president.  OPRFHS District 200 Superintendent Dr. Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, who came out of retirement to take the position on a temporary, then long-term basis, decided to retire.  Dr. Greg Johnson became the new superintendent.  District 97 Superintendent Dr. Carole Kelley moved to take a position in New Jersey, and District 97 appointed two interim superintendents.  Thursday Night Out was back on, and a new event in the autumn weeks started, See You on Saturday.

Those who departed from us in 2021 included Colin Powell, Rush Limbaugh, Larry King, Prince Philip, and Desmond Tutu.

Former Presidents Bush and Clinton both turned 75 in the summer.  Former First Lady Laura Bush turned 75 on November 4, and her twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, turned 40 on Thanksgiving Day, November 25.  Barack Obama turned 60 on August 4.  Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter celebrated their 75th Wedding Anniversary on July 7.

Patriarch Bartholomew I, leader of Orthodox Christians worldwide, marked 30 years in his role on November 2.  On that day, he was in the midst of a days-long trip in the United States, which included a visit to South Bend where he received an award.

Disney World marked 50 years since its opening on October 1.  Amtrak marked 50 years since its establishment on May 1, and President Biden gave a speech at a celeration for the occasion, speaking about enhancements to Amtrak service.

In the natural world, there were significant ice storms in the southern United States during the winter months early in 2021, which caused widespread power outages in Texas.  Hurricane Ida made landfall on the Gulf Coast in August as a powerful Category 4 hurricane.  Tornadoes struck parts of the Chicagoland area on June 20.  In December, strong tornadoes struck parts of the Mid-South, especially Kentucky, some of which had long tracks over 100 miles.   Kilauea had another eruption on September 29.

After a pandemic-induced delay, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were held from July 23 to August 8.  Personally, I was glad to see that the athletic competitions were still able to happen, as I thought the pandemic would suspend the Olympics completely.  The female US gymnastics team garnered much attention, with Suni Lee winning gold, and raising the profile of the Hmong community in the USA.  Grace McCallum was a fellow Minnesotan who also competed as a female gymnast in Tokyo.  Simone Biles returned, although she sat out some of the competitions because of some personal issues, but came back toward the end.  The Olympics is an event that always inspires me, and I'm glad the games still went on as a sign of the resilience that will bring the whole world out of this pandemic, just as it drives spirited competition at the Olympics when the nations come together.

Courageous Service of Healing

While December 25 is the annual grand celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, this year, I also offer tribute to Clara Barton, who was born 200 years ago today, on December 25, 1821, in Oxford, MA.

It seems fitting that she was born on December 25, and would one day be known as the "Angel of the Battlefield", while courageously treating the wounded on battlefields of the Sectional War of the 1860s.

One story I heard said that she was determined to provide care on the battlefields, and went to speak with a Union general.  He declined her request, as the prevailing mindset of that time was that women had no place on the battlefields.  But she was determined, and so made her case again, and she eventually got permission.

And her resolve to care for those in need certainly didn't end with the conclusion of the war.  On an overseas trip, she learned about the work of the Red Cross, and advocated to bring it to the United States.

Ms. Barton is a person of great noble character because she was aware of the needs around her, and took action to meet them in courageous service, even in spite of limitations.  She embodies the spirit of the words in President Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address: "...with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

We have plenty of reason to be grateful to those who follow in the footsteps of Ms. Barton, especially those who work in hospitals and the medical field, along with first responders, in this pandemic, and long before it.

So as we celebrate the birth of the One Who brought full healing to the world, let us also give thanks for those who devoted their life's work to do their part to bring a healing touch to our world.  

Happy Birthday Clara Barton!  Thank you for your work.

The above photos are from a brief visit I made back in early March 2021 to Clara Barton's home at Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo, MD, just outside Washington, D.C.

Another 21 for Illinois at 203

Inspired by my celebration of Illinois's bicentennial 3 years ago, I offer another list of 21 notable things about Illinois to celebrate 203 years of statehood today.

I was born in Illinois 30 years ago, and that got me wondering about other famous people born in Illinois.

1. actor Jim Belushi

2. actor Gary Sinise

3. TV host Pat Sajak

4. actor Bob Newhart

5. Helen Scot Hay, Red Cross nurse

6. actor Burl Ives

7. entertainer Jack Benny

8. actor Bill Murray

9. actor John Cusack

10. Arthur Goldberg, former US Supreme Court Justice

11. John Paul Stevens, former US Supreme Court Justice

12. actor Buddy Ebsen

13. musician Miles Davis

14. Mary Agnes Meara Chase, botanist

15. Patricia Robert Harris, former Cabinet Secretary, the first Black Female Secretary

I also think about some of the notable figures in the women's suffrage amendment movement, with markers at sites for them throughout Illinois.

16. Recently, a sign was installed for Grace Wilbur Trout at the site of her home in Oak Park.

17. Julia Holmes Smith

18. Ida B. Wells

19. Ellen Annette Martin, the first woman to vote in Illinois, on April 6, 1891, Lombard

I end recognizing that 125 years ago on July 16, 1896, at the 1896 Democratic National Convention at the Coliseum (#20) in Chicago, William Jennings Bryan delivered his epic speech ending with the words, "Cross of Gold!" (#21).

Happy Birthday, Illinois!

Let's party like it's 1818 all over again, with all the amazing people in the Land of Lincoln!

Sign at the site of Grace Wilbur Trout's home in Oak Park, IL