No Longer Strangers

“In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all these people, that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of separateness, of spurious self-isolation in a special world.”

These words, spoken by Thomas Merton over 60+ years ago while running errands, returned to my consciousness this morning as I watched hundreds of parents and grandparents cheer on their 3-5 year olds as they sang their little hearts out for us all to hear. Titled, “The Early Children Extravaganza,” over 70 children entertained us with songs they practiced faithfully for over a month.

It is not completely surprising that I am recalling one of Merton’s more famous quotes this day. I am currently waiting for a flight into (that same) Louisville for a leadership meeting with the Sisters of Charity Federation. I will visit Merton’s hermitage this Friday. Another check on my bucket list.

Yet, only a few hours ago, I watched my fellow parents match their kid’s smile. I saw fathers struggle to hold the recording camera as we attempt to capture every precious moment, both in our hearts and on a digital format.

If we were gathered in this same cafeteria any other day, and found ourselves discussing politics, religion, sports teams (especially Mets-Yankees), or pick any other trendy discussion item that inevitabaly leads to conflict, we may not see the best in one another.

Under the gaze of our innocent children, we somehow caught some of their magic, and at least for myself (but with a strange suspicion I was not alone), we recognized that this is what it was all about.

Not only was my daughter singing her well-rehearsed lyrics, but so were many other children who were somehow, also my responsibility. After a year of drop-offs and pick-ups, class trips and gatherings, we were no longer strangers. we were companions on a shared journey.

In Merton’s before mentioned reflection, he continued a paragraph later with the following phrase: “Then it was as if I suddenly saw the secret beauty of their hearts.”

I saw the beauty in the hearts of my fellow dads this morning, as I saw it in their children and families. Today was a good day.