Down To The Wire

Well, the time to deliver my first homily is only a few hours away. I've been working on it off and on for 2 days. I hope it turns out ok. Sometimes I get a good feeling about it and sometimes not. So far I don't lean either way for this one.

We had Friday night out with our daughter and her children at Semolina's restaurant. Our good friends Mick and Bev joined us with their delightful grandson, Anthony. The Houston Herricks were there along with Number 2 Son. It was a pretty good time for all, I think. The food was good and the company better.

Yesterday afternoon Linda and I went for a ride through some of the devastated areas of New Orleans. It was kind of eerie to drive up and down streets with cars parked in the driveways as if people were home, yet all the houses were empty, many gutted, no sign of lights or life, and cars all covered with mud and floodwater residue. Even after three months have gone by, so little headway has been made. Where does a person begin? Who's going to be the first on the block to try to rebuild, only to end up living amidst a community of ghostly vestiges of the homes that used to be?

And where do you live in the interim? As more and more businesses open, the reality of the loss of citizenry is painfully obvious as store hours are limited, restaurant menues are limited, and fast food places are often drive-thru only.

I guess I'm coming to grips with my survivor's guilt. I was thinking about my friends and coworkers who lost their homes. Many have reported that they've received insurance checks, paid off mortgages, and moved on with their lives. Good for them! But people like us, who have homes that are liveable, are still paying our house notes, mostly ignored by the insurance companies, and have had to follow our jobs to other states, so we can't even live in the homes we're paying for!

As not normal as life in New Orleans is, I'd still rather be here, living in my own home, with my children and grandchildren nearby, than to be in Tennessee. I miss my family, and I miss my home parish, Holy Name of Mary. There's no beginning to return to any semblance of normalcy for us until we are back in our own homes once again.

Keep up the prayers, my friends. Life is changed, but still good. God has blessed us with the love of family and friends. May we continue to share that love as He intended, generously and without strings. God be with you as your journey through life continues! - Dean