Birthday Milestones of November 2023

In my family this month are two significant birthday milestones.

It was the birthday of my cousin Cynthia on November 25.  She has absolutely picked up the party spirit and a strong sense of hospitality from her mom, my Aunt Carmen.  She's eager to celebrate special occasions.  And she treats guests with abundant hospitality.  That was definitely the case back in the summer when Aunt Carmen turned 90.  She did so much to make a special celebration for her Mom, and kept up an enthusiastic sense of energy through it all.  I spent a couple of nights at the home of her and Mark, her husband.  She served great meals and did so much to make me feel comfortable.  It's only fitting that it would now be her turn to be celebrated so energetically.

My Aunt Terri's birthday was on November 28. With delight I have celebrated her birthday being my aunt and my baptismal godmother.  She also exhibits a distinct sense of hospitality.  I have fond memories of going to her family home in Wheaton for holiday occasions.  She decked out the spaces with a fine touch of interior decoration.  And she served great food.  I haven't yet visited her home in Arizona, though I hear it has a similar sense of splendid decoration.  I've enjoyed the conversations I have with her, especially with all I have to share in updating her about my life when we talk on special occasions.  And like me, she has been a huge fan of Gina's Italian Ice.

So Happy Birthday Cynthia and Aunt Terri!

Dear 1036: Celebrating Where I Came Alive

Dear 1036 Clarence,

Today is the most blessed and wonderful day when my family moved into you 31 years ago.  It's time to party like it's 1992!

It is an occasion that reminds me of a soundbite that I heard from Studs Terkel in a video at the Chicago History Museum.  He remarked that he was legally born on May 6, 1912, but then was born for who he is when his family came to Chicago when he was 8.

Certainly, being born on the North Side of Chicago and living there for the first 20 months of my life left its defining mark on me.  Yet this day, November 28, is the day I experienced a birth of great importance, when I came to Oak Park and began living in you, where I essentially came into existence.

Last year, it was quite a day of celebration marking 30 years.  I enjoyed having special meals to fit the day, like pancakes for breakfast, food from Pete's for lunch, and a special stew meal I made later in the day.  Following dinner, it was enjoyable to play a game of US-themed Monopoly.

Truly you have been a home in the fullest sense of the word, where I built a life.

One great example is the story time I had with Mom and Dad on alternating evenings.  Among the numerous books we read were two by William J. Bennett, The Book of Virtues and Our Country's Founders, a children's version of Our Sacred Honor.  Both books were compendiums compiling stories and other writings to illustrate character qualities, with the latter focused on content from US history and especially the Founding Era.

It was that type of reading that helped encourage me to build strong character qualities, which has allowed me to live life to the fullest.  Indeed, the memory of those books lives on and keeps me connected to you.  Again, I feel like I came into existence in you, and certainly my character was shaped in so many ways within your walls.

In the spirit of the recent celebration of Thanksgiving Day, there's a song that I heard on Relevant Radio that resonated with me powerfully, "I'm not Lucky, I'm Blessed".  Like Obi-Wan Kenobi says, "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck."  And when it comes to you, I know that I'm not lucky for my years within you: I am blessed that I have called you home for so long a time, a wonderful gift.

And so I celebrate today, for you shall never fade into the background but remain ever in my heart:

All my relations.

God's blessings,

Paul

I will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

Psalm 116:17 NAB

Lord God, This is the day You have made, and I rejoice and am glad.

I give You praise and thanks for the place I have called home for so many years at 1036 Clarence.

I thank You for the experience I had there.

I thank You for the large well of memories there that stir my heart.

I thank You for the gift that You gave me in a house that has a home in the fullest sense, a gift that continues to give.

Thanks be to God!

Amen.

Home on Nativity Day 2022

Vocation in Summer Vacation

I have two significant memories at the Oak Park Public Library 20 years ago in 2003.

On October 3, the current Main Library building had its grand opening.  My whole family went to see it that day.  There are certainly many impressive features.  I ended up spending a chunk of time searching for a book for a school book report assignment.

Of more personal significance was something that happened the previous summer.

I had enjoyed participating in the children's summer reading program summer after summer, up until I started 6th grade at Julian.

At that point, when I aged out, I was eager to take the next step and become a teen volunteer.  I had enjoyed participating in the program so much, and I wanted to give back to the community that had given me so much.

During that summer and the following 5 summers, I would volunteer at the table for the children's summer reading program, signing them up, and then checking their progress as the weeks passed.

I had so much fun heading over to Maze Branch Library, usually once or twice a week.  Looking back on it, I was in my element with my extroverted personality, spending time interacting with the children who came, along with their parents and caregivers.  I also enjoyed the company of my fellow volunteers.  There were also the staff who oversaw the volunteers, like the legendary Marsha Cooper, along with Ms. Nadine, Dani, Candace, and Megan.

Each year there was a different theme, including Western, cinema, and medieval.  Sometimes, I helped with special programming, like a castle-themed kick-off party that was just days following my 8th grade graduation, for which I used my gown and a crown hat I had from a 6th grade field trip to Medieval Times.  Other times, I helped with Bingo.

Those summers were a wonderful time that really helped make me the best version of myself.  The hours I spent at the library helped me get a vision of a community larger than myself, and contribute to it.  I'm sure it also was a contributing factor to my job at the main OPPL years later.

In some respects, library volunteering aligned with the amazing experience I had at Julian, in which I learned to be part of something bigger than myself.  As I see it now, I was realizing that my vocation in life is to give to others.  I'm grateful for how the OPPL helped build me as a person.

Thanksgiving Thoughts 2023

Thanksgiving Day is special this year because it marks the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, as I noticed the copyright date 1973 in the credits upon reaching the conclusion of it.

It's a great story that reminds us that even with all the fine food associated with this holiday, ultimately, what counts most in life, our presence with one another, and how it is the revelation of God Himself present with us.  In that spirit, maybe some popcorn and toast isn't so bad after all for Thanksgiving, though I still like my fix of turkey, not only on this holiday, but other days, too.

This holiday resonates with me deeply because it's a national USA holiday that has strong spiritual overtones, evident in the 1863 proclamation President Lincoln issued 160 years ago establishing Thanksgiving Day as an annual holiday.  The wording reminds us to look around at the blessings and bounty all around us, and to recognize all of it as gifts from our gracious God, Who continually sustains us with His goodness and mercy.

And all that God has done for us surely compels a response from us.  Notably, the Spanish phrase for this holiday is "Dia Acción de Gracias".  Indeed, we are called to act in response to God.  I heard an interview on Relevant Radio in which someone suggested the idea of "Thanks-living".  We give thanks by the way we live our lives, making much of these gifts, as we share them with others so that we may truly know God's goodness is abundant.

It reminds me of the Taize song based on Philippians 4, "In the Lord, I'll be Ever Thankful".  When we pause to be thankful at what we already have, we recognize God is present with us.

There's something to be said for how our country has a specific day designated for Thanksgiving, and I hope it reflects in our character for how we live the spirit of Thanksgiving constantly, because of how much we have to be grateful for each day.

God bless the USA!

A Blessed Thanksgiving to all!

Pondering Purpose in Plymouth

Life has many different stages, and as one leads to another, there is purpose in each.

That idea was woven through the National Catholic Singles Conference.  I had heard of this conference in recent years, and I thought it was a great idea.  When I learned it would be near Detroit, MI, I felt it was close enough to make it the right time to attend.

So right around 11 AM CDT on Friday, August 25, 2023, I got in Avila and headed east.  (Please note that all times from here forward in this post are EDT, unless otherwise noted.)

After getting through a long back-up on I-80/94 from Cook County to Lake County, IN, it was smooth sailing into Michigan.  Around 3 PM, I stopped at a Culver's in Stevensville, MI.

I arrived in Plymouth, MI, between 5:30-6:00, at the Hilton Garden Inn.  After touching base with one of my hotel roommates, I got my room key card, got my luggage in, and switched to conference-style clothing, before driving about 1 mile/5 minutes to the conference venue, St. John's Resort.

In the main conference room

Main entrance of St. John's Resort in Plymouth, MI

(Please note, as always, that all photos in this post are mine unless otherwise stated.)

I was there in time for the opening session at 7 PM.  While I had picked a certain spot to sit, where were all directed to get up and move to an area of the room based on the color of a sticker on our badges.  Later, I heard from someone that the colors corresponded to age group.  We then got into groups to get to know each other with a discussion about what our passions are and how we could form communities around these passions.  (There was actually quite a range in ages at this conference, from those closer to my age, and those in their 40's and 50's. I even met a woman in her 60's.)

At 8 PM was our first speaker, Steve PoKorney, who is in the photo directly below.  He shared a little bit about his struggles with sexual purity, and encouraged us in the way of love, noting that we can't give what we don't have. In that light, he encouraged us to seek healing for our wounds, and focus on the truth of how God sees us, because we were created to be loved.  Toward the end of his talk, he offered us some pointers to grow in relationship with God and others.

Following the talk, the adoration chapel and reconciliation room were available, and there was a heavy appetizer/light dinner reception.  We were in a room that had a glass ceiling, which I'm sure looked splendid in the daylight.  It was nice mingling with other conference attendees, who came from a wide geographic area from California to Manhattan, and enjoying good food like fajitas and the dessert table--please see photo below.  

The dessert table

And then I headed back to my hotel room to settle down and go asleep.

The next day, August 26, I went downstairs for the hotel's breakfast, which was a fine buffet with cereal, fruit, bagels, and hot items like bacon.  Fortunately, as part of staying at the other conference-designated hotel, breakfast was included.

I was over at St. John's Resort right around 8:15 AM for Morning Prayer.  A fellow attendee, Jenna, had reached out to a few days prior and asked if I wanted to help lead Morning Prayer, and I gladly agreed.

Once we finished, it was time for the first speaker of the day.  J.P. DeGance discussed the findings of a study on religious practice as it correlates with marriage and family life.  Following a break, we had a multi-part presentation with different vocation stories.  Two married couples shared about how they met and got married:  For Ary and Ray, it happened when they were both in their 40s.  The other couple, Cass and Dom, married very recently in their 20s.  And Dawn Hausmann, who works for the Diocese of Lansing, shared about how she devoted her life to single celibacy through a formal church ritual.

Following that presentation, we had Mass in the splendid Chapel, celebrated by Bishop Earl Boyea of the Diocese of Lansing.  While I don't remember the specifics of how he did it, in his homily, he drew out of the readings the idea that we should open ourselves up to how God is all around us.  In the Gospel reading, Jesus says that we should only call God in Heaven our Father, rather than religious leaders, so we can be aware of how God is present all around us, especially in those who are in need, like we see in the story of Ruth.

Bishop Boyea is standing in the green vestments toward the right of the altar.

Then it was time for lunch.  We sat according to home state, or home province for the Canadians present.  (The numerous attendees from Michigan and Ohio had their own room.)  I went to a splendid room with lots of windows surrounded by gardens.  I felt it was appropriate to sit at table #18, one of three tables for Illinois residents, since Illinois became a state in 1818.  It was a nice time getting to know the other Illinois residents at my table, who were all from Chicagoland.  Lunch was a buffet with options like pasta with vegetables, chicken, salad, and a wide variety of desserts.

Lunch entree and salad

For another hour or so, we had free time to browse the exhibits and the grounds of the resort.  I also went to spend some time praying in the adoration chapel.  Then we were back in the main conference room for a presentation with Margaret Vasquez.  Although she was unable to come, she recorded her presentation.  She talked about our basic human need for connection, and how God exposes His heart to us so we can expose our hearts to Him and truly behold how much He loves us and can bring us His healing touch.  Her talk gave way to an adoration prayer service, where we prayed before the Blessed Sacrament while music played in the background.

When the adoration prayer time concluded, the conference sessions proper had ended for the day.  I returned to the hotel, for a bit, and while there, enjoyed the pool.

Around 7 PM, I got in Avila and drove to downtown Plymouth, a splendid area, and met up with Sarah, a friend from college, along with her husband Chris, and we three had dinner together at Pizza.  I got a pepperoni personal-sized pizza.  It was a great time catching up with Sarah and getting to know Chris, and we were at it for a while.  Around 9 PM, we parted ways and I returned to the hotel.

Above is downtown Plymouth in the evening daylight and below is downtown Plymouth lit up at night.

The next morning, I was up between 7 and 8 AM.  Between 8-8:30, I enjoyed the hotel's fine breakfast once again.  And then, with everything of mine loaded into Avila, I went to St. John's Resort for the conclusion of the conference.  First, I attended Morning Prayer again.  Immediately following was our final speaker, Peter Burak.  He gave such a fitting talk for the final part of the conference.  He focused on how we've all received the universal call to holiness, and with it comes a mission, which connects with the universal vocation everyone has to love.  Mission starts with identity, demands risk, and is guided by the Holy Spirit, the great agent of evangelization.

Following a short break at 11:30, we had Mass to conclude the conference.  The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time is significant because that's when I first attended Mass at St. Teresa's.  The celebrant priest in his homily drew out of the readings the idea of an interior dialogue in the heart.  Jesus draws St. Peter to Himself and transforms him, just as He does for all of us, as He seeks to accompany us through life so that we can live with purpose.  And, as I see it, we find purpose grounded in the confession of faith which is the foundation of the Church.

Anastasia Northrop, the NCSC director, is standing at the podium addressing the gathering.

The altar in the main conference before Mass started

The beginning of the third verse of "Be Thou my Vision", which I believe was sung as the altar was being prepared for the Communion rite

Mass finished by 1 PM.  After getting myself suited up for the drive back, I connected with two people who had asked me for a ride to the Detroit airport.  We made a quick stop at Busch's Fresh Food Market where I got a turkey sandwich for lunch.  By 2:30, I had arrived at the airport and saw them off for their respective flights.  Then I got on I-94, which would be my route for the vast majority of the drive back home.

I made a quick stop about half an hour away to get a fruity drink and a strawberry-frosted cream doughnut from Tim Horton's which feels exotic because the company is based in Canada.

Between 4:30 and 5:00, I pulled off I-94 at Portage and stopped at the home of my cousins of the Steinsdoerfer family, who were enjoying the last day of summer vacation before the new school year started the following day.  After talking with them for a few minutes, they eventually invited me to stay for dinner, and I gladly accepted.  They made steak meat with sweet potato fries cooked in an air fryer and the lime banana bread I brought them as a gift.  It was such a wonderful time in their company and experience family life after having thought so much about my own vocation and purpose in life.

I got to meet the Steinsdoerfer family dog, Wrenly, for the first time.

My dinner, with steak meat, sweet potatoes from the air fryer, and a piece of the sweet bread I brought.

The Steinsdoerfer home as the day starts drawing to a close, with the soccer goal set up in the yard, with which I assisted.

I departed around 7:00 PM EDT.  After one more stop for gas, it was straight onward to Oak Park, where I arrived around 8:30 PM CDT.  I went to get some Gina's Italian Ice to cap off a fine late summer evening before returning to homebase.

When I first heard of the NCSC, I thought it was a fantastic idea, to attend presentations and events that help us find purpose in single life. This conference definitely met my expectations.  Furthermore, it was a very uplifting experience.  Faith is already such an important part of my life, and my experience on this weekend did more to edify me in it.  I enjoyed the opportunity to be in an atmosphere with other like-minded people who share my appreciation for the role of faith in life, and we could be bound by that, besides just the reality of how we're all single.  I met so many wonderful people at the sessions, during meals, and during breaks.  The speakers all had great insights to share that speak to how we can all live with purpose.  I would definitely recommend this conference for any single Roman Catholic, including those who are later in life who haven't yet gotten married, because there's a purpose for all of us.

There's a shift in the church to reinvigorate through the idea of mission as a way to reengage the faithful.  Indeed, mission has given me a strong sense of purpose, which I encountered especially during my college years, and I've spent the past 10 years living it out.  This conference offered me a renewal to continue on the path and enrich myself spiritually.  Faith is a great gift given to me, and I'm called to live purposefully as I put it into action as God's mission for me in life, to offer as a blessing to others what He has given to me.

It's fitting that there was an image of Pope St. John Paul II on the conference stage in the main room throughout the weekend.  His Theology of the Body certainly has lots to say about how God's love is revealed in married life.  But even more, love is the universal vocation of everyone, in every stage of life.  God has created us in His image, and since He is love, we are called to reveal God by loving others.  As a single person, I see that as such a rich purpose that can enliven my life now and invigorate me for whatever the years ahead bring.

During a break, a fellow attendee photographed me posing by the stage in the main conference room.  Above is a close-up of me with Pope St. John Paul II.