Reflections of the passing week
On one of my mailing lists someone posted their favorite Pope John Paul II pic, the one where he is having an audience with some breakers. One of my favorites is this one:
It's so beautiful and sad at the same time.
I have some great ones from '87. He came to the school/mission where I now teach and where I used to attend. I was in high school at the time but was allowed to come back for the papal visit because my mom was the admin. assistant and was one of the Secret Service contacts for the school end. My mother has an amazing picture of him from about a foot away.
I watched a old video tape with my second graders of the news coverage (there was tons) and special from his visit here. I wanted the kids to see that he was indeed here. To have been there was really special though I had forgotten little bits of the day. I forgot that we kids there had all chanted "John Paul II we love you!" Friday morning on the way to work I passed the big sand dune that everyone writes messages on with crab grass. Written on the side was "John Paul II we *heart* you" It made me cry.
I've cried a lot lately about it. About an hour after he passed I went to a church (I was out of town at the time) and lit a candle. My mom and I just sat in the pew and cried, talking to the local priest. We talked about how we may not have agreed with everything he said, especially in the later year, but all in all he was an amazing, beautiful person. He promoted peace more than anyone in the Church ever had. He crossed boundaries that no other Pope had dared. He was a real human being not just some fancy head of the Church.
His passing affected me more than I would have ever realized.
It's so beautiful and sad at the same time.
I have some great ones from '87. He came to the school/mission where I now teach and where I used to attend. I was in high school at the time but was allowed to come back for the papal visit because my mom was the admin. assistant and was one of the Secret Service contacts for the school end. My mother has an amazing picture of him from about a foot away.
I watched a old video tape with my second graders of the news coverage (there was tons) and special from his visit here. I wanted the kids to see that he was indeed here. To have been there was really special though I had forgotten little bits of the day. I forgot that we kids there had all chanted "John Paul II we love you!" Friday morning on the way to work I passed the big sand dune that everyone writes messages on with crab grass. Written on the side was "John Paul II we *heart* you" It made me cry.
I've cried a lot lately about it. About an hour after he passed I went to a church (I was out of town at the time) and lit a candle. My mom and I just sat in the pew and cried, talking to the local priest. We talked about how we may not have agreed with everything he said, especially in the later year, but all in all he was an amazing, beautiful person. He promoted peace more than anyone in the Church ever had. He crossed boundaries that no other Pope had dared. He was a real human being not just some fancy head of the Church.
His passing affected me more than I would have ever realized.