Well it seems like the last time I wrote anything I was about 3 decades younger, a high-energy “sharp as a tack” priest, and  about 100 pounds lighter.  But in fact, it has only been a little less than two years since my last post on here.

So as a commitment to full disclosure, here are some discoveries I have made: 1) I am clearly still capable of writing; 2) I am close to two years older than I was in that last post; 3) I am still an active priest, however believing I have high energy and am “as sharp as a tack” could really just be my own delusions, (my wife still keeps me around though); 4) I am still working to lose weight,  but I still feel like the before model in a weight loss ad, and; 5) I am terribly disappointed that the St. Louis Blues did not make the playoffs this year even if it is completely irrelevant to my last post.  (How is that for an amazing run-on sentence??)

So as I have done before, I thought I would re-up my commitment to writing now that hockey season is over for me and include the wonderful  picture of Steph, Izzy, and me at a Blues game from a few weeks ago on March 28th.  As a priest (I had mentioned that) that morning I had been at our annual Chrism Mass for the Diocese of Quincy at the Cathedral, so it was wonderful able to take part in both!

One of the challenges, or hard parts of raising kids, is that they grow up and move away.  That, I know, is hard on a lot of parents.  For me, it is particularly hard, and one of the reasons that I will make myself available to see them at any opportunity,   I love my kids and I know they love me, which incidentally is not a delusion.  In fact, I grew up a Montreal Canadiens fan.  I even have an autographed picture proudly displayed downstairs of my hockey idol Guy Lafleur – “the flower” or better yet known as “le demon blond” (only to those trying to defend against him).  But because Stephanie went to college in St. Charles, and then got her doctorate in St. Louis, I, of my own freewill, abandoned the Habs for the Blues.  You see, she became a Blues fan, and that changed everything for me.  I switched my allegiance so we would have something else to do together, and it has been a blast.   At this March 28th game our tickets were just behind the Blues bench to the right.  Steph and Izzy however had a friend who invited us up to a suite. right next to the Blues broadcast booth.  We had such a great time!

And although it is hard for me to believe, today Scotty (the oldest boy but middle child who lives in Houston) happens to be in

Indianapolis.  And at some point Ben (our youngest) will wake up (it is only 1pm here and Ben is almost 16 – so we have plenty of time) and he, Amanda, and I will head down to see Scotty and go to dinner.  It is certainly wonderful timing and another awesome opportunity to be hanging with our kids.  All three of them are my greatest accomplishment of life, and I love them very much. I am proud of who they are and all they have done.

But my part in all their lives has not been that hard.  I was reflecting on all of this yesterday as I often  do on April 14th, which this year was the 15th anniversary of my stroke.  Of course the stroke was why I started writing this blog in its current form in the first place, it was self-discovered therapy for myself.  But the writing has led to a lot of things too.  It changed my life, and it changed it in a good way.  And when I started to write today, I wondered why I ever stopped.  No promises here, but I do know I am better when I write and write often.

But it makes me laugh to think about it.  When I first made a blog site, or whatever kids call them these days, I intended to write about my vocation and the changes the Church and society were enduring.  I figured my brilliant theological mind (one of my delusions) was going to get out there and say something important.  But it just didn’t turn out to be God’s plan.  My stroke impaired so very much, and honesty much of that included things into which I had invested so much (like my education).  I had trouble thinking, so I wrote to clear my jumbled thoughts and to survive.  And I just wrote what came out.  Oddly enough, it never was too theological or even brilliant for all that matters.

But I believe that God moves in my life in ways that matter.  Ice hockey was always part of my life.  When I was a kid I wanted to be Guy Lafleur and play in the NHL, but I ended up in seminary instead.  (A real surprise to anyone who knew me as a kid).  So I never made it to the pros, but I confess that if at the March 28th game someone from the Blues would have come up to me and asked me to lace up, I would have, and I also could absolutely guarantee that we still would not have made the playoffs.

What I have learned is that there are seasons for everything.  I can relive them in my mind, like believing I was Guy Lafleur at 10 years old.  It’s fun, but if at almost 62 if I were to now lace up and get out there, someone is likely going to the hospital, and that someone l would only THINK they were le demon blond.

But this new season is emerging with family, joy, hope, retirement, new challenges, lots of cool things God has yet to reveal.

Maybe I will just lace up for that, and enjoy it all as it comes to me!

Blessings to you all!

Tommy+

PS…yes I did not post before we went to Indy so I was able to add the boys to the post.