Dear 1036: Ebb and Flow of Winter

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence,

February certainly has brought some big snows as we draw toward the end of winter.

Back in 2021, there was a particularly significant snowstorm that started intensifying around the time I left work in Orland Park, and it took me between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get home to you.  Once home, I sat for dinner and relaxed my muscle soreness from the involved drive.  I was glad I didn't have to be at work the next day.

Later that month, we started heading in a spring-like thaw, and the snow was melting.  I remember seeing the melted state of the snow as I rolled my suitcase along the sidewalk to reach the Blue Line and go to Union Station to board the Amtrak Capitol Limited train on way down to Florida.

And it was definitely springlike the day I returned to you from that trip in the first week of March.

There are always wonders of nature to behold.

With gratitude,

Paul

Dear 1036 Clarence

In tribute to where I grew up, and pursuant to a suggestion someone offered me, here is a letter I wrote to the home:

Dearly Beloved 1036 Clarence Avenue,

 

You are a house that for over 30 years has truly been a home in the fullest sense of the word. In you I have grown from a baby boy into maturity.  I was so young when I first came to you that I have no memories of that day.  You were there at my dawning of life.  You’ve always been part of my existence in a close, intimate way.

 

In you I experienced great love from the immediate family with whom I lived in countless ways.  I think of the warmth that washed over me when Mom, Dad, and Eric surprised me with gifts right away in the morning on my birthday when I was little, probably about 4.  And there were so many other birthdays, too.  There were also holidays, when other family came to visit and we shared the joy that marks Thanksgiving Day and the Birth and Resurrection of Christ.  Indeed, we shared that joy with so many others who came, including great friends I brought here, among them, Zach, Richard, Matthew, Roy, Rogenique, and the Ruggabers.

 

In you I celebrated so many important events in my life.  There was great joy celebrating graduations, especially after I concluded my time at Julian in June 2005, and then 11 years later, celebrating the achievement of my MLIS degree on May 8, 2016.

 

In you, I experienced so many historical moments.  In the comfort you offered, I processed the immense tragedy of September 11, 2001, even as I took comfort in the final words of President Bush’s speech that night.  I watched live coverage of Pope Francis’s election, and then his trip to the USA in 2015, followed by his trip to Mexico a few months later. I witnessed the progression of technology, from our first computer to dial-up Internet service, and then high-speed Internet. I watched a tape of the 2002 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony on VHS, and more recently, watched curling at the 2022 Beijing Olympics on the second to last night through the Peacock streaming service.

 

And I also enjoyed those little pleasures like the smells of baked goods: cinnamon rolls from a can, and freshly-baked sweet breads.  It was a great delight each spring when the flowers bloomed, the lilacs and most especially the peonies in the yard.  Autumn brings a vibrant shade of red to the tree in front.  On so many mornings, looking out my bedroom window the east, I admired a splendid sunrise, just as I delighted in the light of a full moon shining down on me.

 

Truly that Saturday, November 28, 1992, was a defining day in my life when I first came to live in you.  That day shall always be reason for me to celebrate.  You have given me so much reason for joy, and my rejoicing shall truly last for a lifetime. For you have truly been a home where I have truly lived life.  You are a part of the core of my being.  My love for you shall last for a long time to come, even as expressed in this letter.  You will never fade into the background.

 

And you shall ever remain in my heart: “You’ll be in my heart…”

 

We are Amigos para Siempre, friends for life.

 

I thank God for the gift you have been and are.  Just as Mom said, she and Dad knew you were the place we would move 30 years ago.  You have been part of shaping my identity, and I shall remain connected with you and the events that happened in you:

 

All my relations.

 

With joyful gratitude deep in my heart,

May God bless you,

Paul

New Year's Eve 2022 at 1036 Clarence

I shall continue celebrating and elaborating on what happened at 1036 Clarence over the course of 30 years, with letters regularly posted on this blog.

The Nexus Between Residences

I am in a nexus point in my life, transitioning from the home where I've lived with my family for 30 years to a new homebase.

To ritualize this passage, I invited Father Rex, pastor of Ascension-St. Edmund Parish, to my condo to offer a blessing as part of a ceremony on Sunday, February 12.  Family, friends, and fellow parishioners joined.  I was also honored that my realtor, Kris Sagan, was present, who was an instrumental part of my transition, including in a spiritual sense.

This time of my life highlights how in certain circumstances, music has a way of expressing what words alone can't.

During the ceremony, I played the following songs, which I all enjoy very much, each for a specific reason:

And that is especially the case with the "Circle of Life", which epitomizes the passage I've made over the past few weeks, and how I've strived to grasp on to what matters most in life along the way.

My Grandma Dottie is no longer physically present with us in this life, yet her mark is absolutely upon my new homebase, from the bath linens I got from her, still marked with her apartment numbers, to the funds from inheritance money from her that made it possible for me to acquire ownership of a new condo.  It was only fitting to acknowledge her touch upon my new place by playing the refrain of "Great is Thy Faithfulness", her favorite hymn: "Great is Thy Faithfulness, / Great is Thy Faithfulness, / Morning by morning new mercies I see, / All I have needed Thy Hand hath provided, / Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

When it comes to "The Prayer", performed by Mat and Savanna Shaw, there's something so profound about the words together with the melody.  Savanna recorded this song for her fellow choirmembers in the spring of 2020 when pandemic restrictions prevented them from being together for their usual sessions.  She asked her dad, Mat, to join.  They posted it to social media, and it went viral.  Now, they have a YouTube channel with thousands of followers.  They have truly made a special mark on the world by sharing their uplifting music.

At this point in the ceremony, I proclaimed 4 Scripture passages:

Joshua 24:14-15

This passage is from the first reading proclaimed at the first Mass I attended at St. Teresa's on Sunday, August 23, 2009, the day after I went away from my beloved childhood home to Valparaiso University.  It was fitting to bring back these words in this current time of transition.

Psalm 116:12-14,17-19

I am filled with an immense amount of gratitude for the life I lived on Clarence Avenue for 30 years, which is a basis for the person I am now in a new homebase, as I seek to live in a continued spirit of gratitude.

John 15:1-10

By faith, I have a relationship with God, the gift of Jesus Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and it continues as I remain in Him, together with the whole Church.

Colossians 3:16-17

Living by faith with an eye toward God gives great purpose, especially as we offer it up in a spirit of thanksgiving.  I proclaimed this passage from the Bible I gave as a gift to my parents for their 25th wedding anniversary.

Father Rex then blessed the condo, which included a prayer for the different rooms, and then sprinkled them with holy water.  He also proclaimed the story of Jesus at the home of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42.  It's a fitting passage of being aware of welcoming God into home life.  There was something stirring about seeing Father Rex going to bless and pray at the rooms, and even the front door.

In an awareness of being driven by an all-encompassing vision of God in the midst of a nexus, I played "Be Thou My Vision", performed by two sisters, Abby and Annalise, including the verse beginning with the words, "Be Thou my battleshield..." of which I was unaware until my friend Zach's wedding on New Year's Eve 2021.  (I like how the sisters' outfits change to reflect different centuries with each verse.)

The song "Glorious", performed by the One Voice Children's Choir, is definitely one of my favorites.  This choir started by performing at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and has continued to sing songs with uplifting messages.  This song speaks to how so many places and so many people have been part of my life, and together, we each are specially part of a glorious symphony of life.  I highlighted this with 8x10 photos I have prominently displayed in my condo of the home where I grew up, Ascension Church, Percy Julian Middle School (about 3/4 miles directly east of my condo), and St. Cornelius Parish in Chicago, where I was baptized.

I certainly also think about this in regard to all the people who gathered, including my realtor, Kris.  Around the time I started searching for a new residence, in the waning days of my employment at the Orland Park Public Library, in my stack of books to do was a book about the steps of buying residential property.  It mentioned that it involves a team of people, and I am blessed that I had Kris as a realtor, who proved herself a knowledgeable expert and a faith-filled woman, who got together with my Mom in a group to pray for each other's children.  Her genius was demonstrated when she employed the used of the escalation clause in my offer paperwork so that I could maintain a competitive advantage while saving thousands of dollars.

To celebrate my place as as citizen of the United States of America, a significant pillar in my life, and recognizing Abraham Lincoln's birthday, I concluded with "God Bless America", performed by John McDermott.  (It's notable that all three permanent addresses in my life are in Illinois.)

After a prayer of blessing for the meal, the mingling part of the gathering started.  I played "My Place in this World" by Michael W. Smith, which speaks powerfully about seeking the purpose God gives us in life.

I also distributed door prizes, prints of two different photos.

Back on August 23, 2021, I photographed this sunset over the I-290.  I submitted it to the attention of WGN News through social media, and Demetrius Ivory featured it on the evening news weather segment.

I saw this sun dog on a cold Christmas Eve morning 2022.  After feeling discouraged about my transition, I saw it as an answer to prayer as a sign that God provided me.

There are some additional songs that were not part of the ceremony that I include here:

"O God, You Search Me", based on Psalm 139, speaks about how God's presence is all-encompassing in all times and palces.

"Lifesong", performed by Casting Crowns, speaks powerfully about the purpose we have for God in life.

During the mingling, I played albums of the complete soundtracks for two movies I enjoy, Lincoln and

Cars.  The latter has some particularly great songs, like "Life is a Highway", symbolizing the movement we make in life.

I was intentional about serving entrees from Oak Park restaurants, to celebrate how much it means for me to have lived in Oak Park for 30 years and to continue my place here in a new residence.  I had a pasta tray from Cuzzo, on the same block as Julian Middle School, and the combination plate from Jerusalem Cafe.  I also served applesauce/berry bread and cornbread.  It was great to see how I created an experience in which everyone was making merry and having a great time.  I look forward to hosting future gatherings in the condo.

At this nexus point, I behold the impact of decisions we make in our lives.  Some are small, and some are big.  There's a varying degree of how much we control we have in making them, and what factors are beyond our control.

I marvel at the decision my parents made 30 years ago to move to a home in Oak Park, giving me a wonderful home marked by love and goodwill in a fine village.  I have valued that beloved home, and it's clear that decision from 30 years ago has had long-lasting effects, which I am still realizing even now as I have made passage to a new homebase as I affirm and celebrate those roots and continue what started 30 years ago.  I feel a sense of connection, epitomized in the Native American phrase: "Mita Kuye Oyasin", translated into English as "All my relations".

Through it all, I enter more deeply into the mystery of God, as illustrated in the St. Francis Prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your Peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith;

And where there is despair, hope.

Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is dying that we are born to Eternal life.

Amen.

And so I am made anew, and even my wonderful past at 1036 Clarence is made anew, too.