When you are 8, 5, and 3, you aren't consumed with worry about the political environment or nervous about COVID. They are excited about the changing seasons. Building the "biggest" pile of leaves and getting your parents to jump in it is nirvana. The only thing better is thinking about the next season and how much snow we might get[Randy Philbrook] (starting, quite possibly, this coming Friday!). My dad was right - kids do sense things adults don't, and the opportunity for joy is around every corner.

Let your light shine!

I believe laughter is given to us by God so we can bear the vicissitudes of life: pandemics, politics, grief, loss. And like many gifts, we are called to share it.

So when I laugh, I miss my mother. But when I make others laugh, I know she is with me still.

My point is: there is a heightened awareness of grace right now. And this week, I felt that grace because of the response that both I had and my peers had to my epic mom fail. That levity kept me going this week, I have to tell you. Life is pretty serious right now and it felt good to throw my hands up in the air and acknowledge the fact that I don't have it together right now. And, no one else does, either.

“Joy comes as a gift when you least expect it. At those fleeting moments you know why you were put here and what truth you serve. You may not feel giddy at those moments, you may not hear the orchestra’s delirious swell, or see flashes of crimson and gold, but you will feel a satisfaction, a silence, a peace—a hush. Those moments are the blessings and the signs of a beautiful life.”

It has been said that you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Paul, formerly Saul, was accustomed to second chances. That’s a good thing because on Malta Paul was first thought to be a murderer. Why else would a viper have fastened on has arm? But things changed that morning. In a matter of a few hours, Paul went from deplorable to divine.

I am more comfortable in my other “PRACTICE.” That is spreading good cheer and liveliness at my Mom’s Old Folks Home. My mom, whom some of you may remember from her many visits to Portsmouth is now 88 and has dementia. She lives in an assisted living home where I’d been able to visit her (nearly) daily.

To me, "PRACTICE" is being present and open to learning. It takes determination and resilience and maybe most importantly someone to lead and to guide.

How does that practice work for me? There have been times in my life where I began the day encountering some life defining thought that I have pasted on my shaving mirror. God is present. Most recently I begin the day reading the Reflections by the people of St Johns. God is conspicuously present.

Finally, there is “practice” as used in the phrase “practice makes perfect.” Here, “practice” refers narrowly to conscious effort aimed at perfecting one’s execution of an action. Can we in this sense “practice” taking the steps on the way of Christ? Certainly we can and should work with purpose on those aspects of Christian practice that don’t come easily to us, that may never become habitual.

Jen and Friends make us LAUGH

This year I find it necessary to break away from the news and the computer to remember how to laugh. Today was one of those days, a family hiking day up north. The day started as four individuals. During the ride up north we started to reconnect and had some laughs. By lunch we were a cohesive group. At the end, the kids were able to look up at the landmarks we had passed along the ridge and acknowledge their accomplishment. All I had to do was look around at the happy, (but tired), faces of my family to feel that I had accomplished my goal. We had all needed to laugh together.

We still have a way to go before we can put COVID-19 in the rear view mirror. But by acknowledging our anger and frustration with this reality and using a bit of humor and laughter we can all become superhero’s like me!

There will always be a rogue “stink bug” creeping into your day, but know that you are not alone; there are friends everywhere ready to help, whether you ask for it or not. I hope that you have a wonderful week, finding laughter in small moments every day.

Laughter is medicine. It can distract us from our troubles, raise our spirits, and help us bond with others. The fact that it is so much more difficult to spend time with folks who aren’t in our bubbles means that we need to find new ways to connect and make each other laugh.

A Catholic Priest, a rabbit and a Minister walk into a bar. The bartender asks the rabbit, “What’ll you have?” The rabbit answers, “ I don’t know, I’m only here because of autocorrect.”

This is how we become better and stronger. Our children and grandchildren will ask questions. They will want to hear our stories and understand what it was like and what happened. We need to remember and to honor the truth of our experiences for them.

I have been deeply moved by these stories, by them and the meaning each has found in their problems, by the unrecognized strengths, resilience, the depths of love and devotion, the rich and human tapestry of this journey. It is in listening to another’s lived experience I have had the opportunity to grow in connectedness in a time of distancing.