I have received so many good wishes from people in person, over the phone, and over facebook.  I am so thankful for all of the people in my life who have taken the time to wish me well on another successful 25th year of life.

I tend to be a reflective person during times like these, and I can’t help but really appreciate all that has happened these past 365 days.  My coworker BD even commented this week that I have “come a long way” since this time last year.  Boy, is she right.  Things tend to work themselves out over the course of time and over my last (gasp!) 34 years of life I have never really followed a direct route on the journey of life.  College, the seminary, law enforcement, back to education, back to religious life…everything certainly has a reason for happening….cliche time!  I suppose my life has never followed any logical progression and I am so happy that is the case – I would most definitely not have the perspective I hold today had I not traversed an alternative path.

Relationships gained and lost.  Jobs begun and homes bought and sold.  I would not undo it for the world, pain included.  I have so much to be thankful for on my birthday.  This morning, LC woke me with the tune of “Happy Birthday” and presented me with a slew of gifts.  Later today I am going to the Kennedy Center to see him perform in his first concert of the year.  Afterward we have dinner reservations a La Perla in Georgetown.  It is going to be a nice day complete with awesome weather!  Tomorrow, he and I are both taking off from work and he is treating me to a spa treatment with an 80 minute massage to start.  Let the pampering begin!

Today I am very thankful for the gift of life and all the blessings it has brought me.

So, a day of surprises…let’s see how it goes!  I am so excited!

Just to think what one phone call could bring – and end.

Wednesday is LC’s birthday and Sunday is mine.  I have purchased some things for him already, other things still being worked out but we are going to the spa on Monday (I am taking off!) and we are both getting massages…his idea!  Afterwards, I am planning something special but because he is an avid reader of this blog I will save specifics for a recap entry the next day!

Until then I need to keep planning and thinking to the future.

I remember growing up and stores magically transformed overnight for the day after Thanksgiving – Christmas wonderlands popping up all over the place where just a few hours prior turkeys and gourds were abundant.  Now all I see is a blurred transition between and in a few cases co-celebration of Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Christmas somehow got pushed into the mix and what took place this year was a HalloGivingMas celebration where Santa is wearing a pilgrim’s outfit and dropping pumpkins down people’s chimneys.  How special is that!

Well, the good thing is that I got great bargains at Pottery Barn!  A silver lining during this most festive of times…

I was a Conventual Franciscan for 12 years and loved every minute of it.  I met many interesting people and had an opportunity to work all over the world.  I was challenged as well as extremely blessed with opportunity that arose from those challenges.  I remember my vocational journey as if it was yesterday and as I look at a reformed Franciscan community now and see the hopes and possibilities that exist with the great group of guys I am currently in communication with – I see the future of Franciscan life in the 21st century!

To all of my fellow Franciscans, I wish you a happy feast day.  Tomorrow, October 4, 2009, on the Feast of Saint Francis, I will be ordained to the Catholic Priesthood, surrounded by my family and friends.  There is no fuller way to experience the wonders of the Franciscan movement than to be made a servant at His altar.

Pax et Bonum!  Peace and All Good!

Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit with a community in New Jersey to witness and participate in the celebration of three new deacons added to the Catholic Church. It was a lovely opportunity (I’ve been using the word ‘lovely’ quite often recently…don’t know why) to see a friend, MRB, who I last saw as I was on staff at The Catholic University of America here in DC back in 2001. MRB is a transitional deacon to be ordained to the priesthood some time in December. He currently serves as Chancellor of his diocese, a pretty big position if you ask me! I was also able to meet up with a few bishops with whom I have only spoken on the phone – that was fun! This weekend offered me an opportunity to network and even meet some local Baltimore clergy who came down for the celebration. It was fun!

Making the drive back yesterday, I thought of my own pending ordination to the Catholic Priesthood next Sunday, October 4th, on the Feast of Saint Francis. My family is driving down for that and we will have many clergy coming in from around the country to celebrate…but over 11 years as a Franciscan Friar makes this date even more special. As I look to another Franciscan community that is more inclusive and will soon hopefully be admitted to full membership, I now turn back once again to my Franciscan roots as a source of strength and identity. This week will be one of preparations and prayer as I move closer to ordinations – something I thought was once impossible having left the Roman church in 2004. A short time after that I found the Independent Catholic Movement, a community of hundreds of thousands of people around the world who are Catholic but look to the church as an inclusive and welcoming community, free of restrictions on those who wish to participate and join in membership. We are not a restrictive community, but one that embraces. As I look to the local American Catholics for support in ministry and service to others, I will look to the future of the Church as it is now unfolding. A future of hope and optimism, free of barriers to love and free of institutional discrimination.

But, first, I have to move the couch.

1.  Two students – both from my campus – showed up at 4:30pm for a ceremony that started at 4:00pm.

2.  The keynote speaker, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, had no idea where she was as she read her canned speech – she misnamed our schools many times over and with many different names.

3.  During the diploma reception, it was like watching Showtime at the Apollo.  The hooting and hollering, arguments between parents trying to get their photos with their cell phones, it was a mess.

4.  It was not a formal ceremony as planned, it turned out to be as casual as a backyard cookout.

Maybe I am just holding too high of expectations for the system, the students, and certainly for the families.  I began the ceremony by reading the expectations of behavior to the parents [insert chuckle here] so everyone knew where to go for the best photos and what was expected of them to maintain a safe and celebratory environment.  Well, it was read and listened to quietly but did that matter?  No…

So they are gone – yes, they are gone.  Officially…even though I had given them the last few days off just to get them out of the building….er…I mean, to give them time to get ready for their graduation ceremony!

Six days left of school with the students, all of them half days…I can’t wait for this summer!  Many good things are in the works for next year!  I have my entire staff set for next year which includes a young man finishing his PhD this year in History, someone who just graduated with a master’s from Harvard this past week (I was able to woo her to DC now that our salaries are extremely generous and highly competitive), a few exciting members of the Teach For America corps, and a fantastic transfer from another campus.  All of these including the strong staff members who have been asked to stay on – they will create the starting line-up for our teaching team and we will be strong on many fronts.

So, that was my consolation sitting on the stage and watching the graduation ceremony unfold into the afternoon.  Last night LC and I ate some chinese food, drank some wine, and just talked late into the night – and now I’m ready for the next batch of students to move on.

With a few weeks left of school there is so much I still need to get done before the students leave the building, then before the teachers leave the building a few weeks after that.  These tasks will be finalized today because tomorrow is when the school year kicks up into full speed and everything after today will seem like a blur.  The to-do list is ever growing and this the excitement that I crave  – its what keeps me moving and motivated!

But…today is Memorial Day…and before I start all of this work the two things I am NOT right now is moving and motivated!

I hope everyone enjoys the day off today!

The weather was very cooperative, not too sunny and not too humid.  It did not rain and the water level was high enough to create a nice current that LC and I enjoyed without too much paddling…although we did have to do our fair share of arm work and maneuvering around rocks and trees that popped up in our path – that was the fun part!

There were 16 of us, plus a guide.  By the end of the journey, especially during the tasting, we all got to know one another fairly well.  LC and I were the only same-sex couple there but no one seemed to mind.  In fact, they gave LC the nickname “appetizer” because he was ALWAYS eating.  We packed a hearty lunch that he most definitely enjoyed while I handled the paddling…it was quite comical.  I left without a nickname, so that’s a good thing!

During the tasting we enjoyed six different wines and then was able to choose one of those six for a full glass.  We developed a really good rapport with our winery rep that the tastings were generous and the “one” glass we were privileged to have ended up being two…or three for some of us! 

After this long day adventure, LC and I made a stop at an historic restaurant in downtown Leesburg for dinner and it was such a lovely night together!  He had the swordfish and I ordered the lamb shank and for dinner we shared a scoop of ice cream.  We ate outside on the patio next to the fountain and it was just so enjoyable – and we talked nonstop the entire dinner.  I felt like we were on our first date, there were so many things we were sharing with one another.  Truly, a memorable weekend!