What A Wonderful World

It was twelve thirty, Sunday afternoon. I was sitting outside in the mild sunlit seventies weather, waiting for my Worldwide Marriage Encounter Friends, Bruce and Jodie, to come and take a look at the room where we would be hosting the WWME regional meeting this fall. Some young folks came out of St. Aloysius Chapel.
I did not know what specific reason they had for being there... working on a retreat, planning some works of service... I did not know. But I smiled as I thought it was wonderful to see high school folks taking a big chunk out of their weekend to plan some work where they would help others. I admire their sacrifice.
Ruminating in the sun, thinking about the world's future, I felt reassured that always there would be people focused on helping others. I smiled.



Finally only two young women were waiting outside. They were waiting to be picked up by family or friends. I could only hear the tone they were using talking to each other. I thought to myself about the wonderful friendships I had formed doing similar kinds of things when I was in high school and college. Those friendships are so precious and with any kind of luck they last us a lifetime.




Then the teacher who had been there with the students came out, spoke to them for a moment. She decided to wait with them until their rides came. I thought about all the wonderful teachers who, over my lifetime, had waited for me. I did a lot of smiling this Sunday thinking about friends and families and mentors and teachers...
gratefully recalling so many people who had been there for me in the hard times and the good times.

I started humming to myself... "What A Wonderful World."