Love ... in unexpected places

There's a building across the street that I get to visit every couple of weeks. Inside there are at least 40 or 50 people, all of whom have already worked for the greater part of their lives ... all of whom are now officially retired.

In some respects, they seem so distant from where I stand, but they are only across the street. Imagine the stories that could be shared, the lessons that could be learned if only we folk who are often so busy about our own lives were to spare a few moments to sit with some of these.

Too often, I too am guilty of rushing into the doors of that establishment, getting a job done, and then rushing out just to return to the whirlwind that exists back here in my 'normal' world. That pace has been going on for the past number of years, but finally I'm getting courageous enough to actually stop and smell the roses.

One of my neighbours who is also a priest shares the honour with me of visiting in this establishment each month. We celebrate Mass for those who can no longer safely venture outside their doors and onto the streets ... and they are always grateful for this simple act of generosity. Just looking at their faces, it's easy to see how much such a gesture means to them.

Today, one of the women came to me and asked whether I would visit with two of the residents once the Mass was complete, taking them the gift of the Eucharist. She would even accompany me so I wouldn't get lost in the building. Little did she know that in so doing, they would be the ones to give me the greatest of gifts. I spent about five minutes (or maybe ten) with each of them, and it was evident that my mere presence was enough to light up the eyes of two who perhaps had little else to be happy about that day. It's evident to me that these are people who genuinely care for one another, who love one another, and who like all wonderful grandparents, only desire to share love with others who might knock at their doors.

How often do we miss out on such blessings just because we don't take the time to stop, to smell the roses, to say hello, to risk the possiblity of making someone else's day just by being us, or of allowing another person to make a real difference in our day, just by being who they are?