Tender Time

There was a time when I avoided "good-byes" at all cost. As a young woman I found the pain of those words too costly...so I stayed away from those moments (or skimmed through them as quickly as possible) If I was the one leaving, it was easier to simply disappear into the sunset, so to speak. I'm not sure exactly why that was so....but I do know that it was before I was aware of God's immense love that sustains relationships. Now I know that the tenderness I experience when I am saying goodbye to someone is directly related to the joy I have been given in their presence.

Summer is a time of reunions. That means it is a time of reconnecting with people and places that are not in our routine path. It means that we are given short, concentrated spans of time to discover (or re-discover) the impact that someone has on our life. It is a time to see someone or some place differently. When we take time to dwell in someone's presence rather than skim past on our own path to some scheduled obligation we may see them more clearly as God's amazing gift....God's expression of love.

Of course, experiencing reunions usually means we must also experience departures. I pray that your reunions are joyful, and that you are fully open to their power. I pray that your goodbyes, therefore, are tender and sincere, filled with gratitude for the gift of those people and places that are part of you even though they aren't part of your everyday life.

ps. Read "Praying the Mystery" for Monday, July 23