"Familiar" Refrain: The Week In Thanks

On Sunday the priest made a comment about returning to that which is familiar to us. How true that is, in one sense. It's easy to cling to the familiar and mock the unfamiliar. At the same time, it's easy to lose sight of how fortunate I am for the familiar, the reliable.

For example, I enjoy the songs sung during Mass each week. Most, if not all, are uplifting and speak of promise and love. Subtly, even subliminally, these ideas seep into the spirit through the ears. The band by now is a year's worth of familiar - mutually caring and talented people who make each other better, and by extension, the entire congregation of hundreds each week.

I still get my hair cut at the same shop I first walked into 19 years ago. Whichever stylist is free is the one who works on me, I've never been picky. So by now, they all know about my adventures in singing, teaching, coaching and acting, to name a few.

The aches of a fortysomething are familiar. Not to be celebrated in and of themselves... but by now there are few surprises. I've learned to manage the old standbys when they pop up, and to react with a grain of salt whenever there's a new one (such as last May's kidney stone). Learning to live with pain brings its own comfort.

Many weekend afternoons I'm joined by several neighbors around the pool. Likewise we've shared the dramas and comedies of daily life while soaking in some vitamin D. We pass with waves and smiles whenever we see each other in the driveway. We bake cookies and share rafts with each other. Communal living is the bomb.

I walked through ISU toward the math department to fill out an application as a private tutor. It just so happened to be on move-in day. Swarms of nervous teens and fatigued parents wound around the base of Watterson Towers. To them the campus is a strange land; to me, home to several of my favorite memories.

Dena and I reminisced of our dating years by watching the Tom Hanks movie "That Thing You Do." It reminded me too of how gifted we are to have Hollywood in our country. Where other nation provides this stream of entertainment? We're a net exporter of fine films. The rest of the world swims in our wake.

Math is familiar. I'm blessed that it recalls as readily as it does. It's given me a new path, laid root to the dream, helps me to impact people positively.

Heartland Community College is new yet familiar, but so far has proved to be reliable as it was years ago.

Finally, there's the "family" in "familiar" as we celebrated Dena's birthday...

... how the house smells like coffee, candles, chocolate and (less exuberantly) rhubarb on many days of the week.
... how she resets the alarm clock for me in the morning after she gets up and about.
... how she brings her brightest smile to anyone who needs comfort.
... how she consistently hunts down the funniest cards for special occasions.
... how we search each other out for a cheery "hello" whenever each other enters the house.
... how she transformed a dreary bachelor pad into a pallet of tasteful decor.
... and most of all, how she fills our days with kisses and hugs.

Love and thanks are in the air, and familiarly so!