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Enjoying life’s simple pleasures |
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Written by ANGELA KESSLER, Chronicle Editor
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Saturday, 21 August 2010 00:00 |
The summer is slipping by, but it seems to be the time of year I take more notice of the simple pleasures that God places in my path.
This year has been a little different than most because I have had the pleasure of spending some rare one-on-one time with my 15-year-old daughter. As parents know all too well, one-on-one time is difficult to manage with any child, but even harder when that offspring is a teen.
 This opportunity began to develop last winter, when she said she understood that going on a mission trip can be a life changing experience. With that thought in mind, she grabbed her laptop, plopped down next to me on the couch, went online and started researching.
It was when she asked if I would spend $5,000 to send her to a Caribbean location with a group unknown to me that I knew it was time to get creative. Since she’s not active in any local youth group, I knew we had our work cut out for us, so I suggested she start a little closer to home with a group we already know and trust.
The research continued.
Unfortunately, what she found was that the organizations she was interested in volunteering for don’t allow those younger than 16 to volunteer without a parent or guardian present. After some brainstorming together and with others, we finally settled on a couple organizations and possible volunteer programs.
In the end, she spent four weeks volunteering during the summer day camp programs at the Padua Center, an outreach program of Toledo St. Martin de Porres. In addition, she spent a week with the Sisters of Notre Dame in Leipsic working with the migrant summer school program in Miller City.
During the weeks she was working in Toledo, I gave up my lunch hour so I could drive her to the Padua Center mid-morning and pick her up again mid-afternoon. She spent the first hour and last two hours of the workday at the office with me, and it was fun to have a passenger during the commute each day.
But the alone-time we had was just one of the simple pleasures this arrangement brought.
Driving from my downtown office to the Padua Center, which is located in the former Toledo St. Anthony rectory near the corner of Nebraska and Junction streets, was a treat. Every time I headed west onto Nebraska, I was struck by how it looked from a distance as if the St. Anthony church building was positioned right in the middle of the street, with the road ending at the church. There is no way anyone could miss the massive church dwarfing everything else in the neighborhood.
As I would make my way along the well-worn road, I would imagine what it must have been like years ago for the Polish settlers of the area and the importance they placed on their faith. Whatever kind of day I had, that view took me back to what it is all about — putting God at the center of all we do.
These are just a few of the simple pleasures God puts in our paths every day. Whether its a rare moment of enjoying time with your teenager or something more common like watching a sunrise or sunset, the quietness of the morning before anyone else has woken up or laughing babies, I think these are His ways of letting us know He’s always with us.
It is these moments that I consider gifts from God. He knows when I need a glimpse of the goodness He has created. I thank Him for placing these simple pleasures in my path each day and look forward to being more aware of His constant presence in my life.
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Those who had the opportunity to have contact with the Communications Office of the Diocese of Toledo most likely had the pleasure of meeting or at least talking or e-mailing with Rita Baur, who worked in the office until 2007, and spent more than 30 years working for the church in the diocese. She lost her battle with cancer Aug. 7, 2010. May she rest in peace. |
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Last Updated on Saturday, 21 August 2010 00:00 |
