In one of those sleepless nights

I've been staying up late to study the past weeks that now I can't get back to the regular routines. I guess writing some scattered thoughts down may help emptying my mind so I can go to bed before 3 tonight (this morning).

- There were 3 events that I could have been at last week and this week; instead I've been stuck here wrestling w/ books and papers and tests: Asian Youth Day in the Philippines, National Catholic Youth Conference in Kansas City, and Sa mac Huan Luyen Vien in San Jose. I understand it is my responsibility at this time to learn as much as I can; but seriously, I wish I had been at any of these events.

- I'm used to missing the big youth events in Atlanta: lock-ins, praise and worships, festivals, van nghe, service projects, ... But I still wish I could be around to expand the programs more. By expanding, I don't mean increasing the length of the events, number of activities or number of attendants, but rather incorporating sessions with more in-depth and substantial contents into the existing programs.
* Lock-ins seem to be well developed; however, I do see the need to incorporate the "service" component. There are already "community building" thru fun games and competitions, "learning" through talk/discussion sessions, and "worship" through prayer service/praise and worship. It's time to bring it up a notch- "service." May be we should have a service project attached to every lock-in.
* Service projects: we've been doing them every holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, ... but those projects are usually unrelated and one-time deal. Maybe we should make a more consistent commitment, say: adopting a nursing home, a soup kitchen, a youth shelter, a social service organization, ... and establish a year-round project with them, for all age groups.

- The shift in the training for the up-coming leaders. I may be away for some time but I do sense a great shift in the culture and the capacity range of the up-coming leaders. This is just my perception, it may be right, may be wrong:

* They may be more capable and more focused to learn more substance. We've been neglecting the Scripture component, not because we wanted to but because the conditions have not been right. Many of these younger leaders are very focused, have some good back-ground knowledge (from Catholic schools), and may be more interested.
* The current young leaders: I think it's great to invest 2 things for them, (1) focused topics: training them to be experts in particular areas - games, sports, events, service projects, learning projects, music ministry, liturgy/prayer, ... and (2) TNTT Literacy. After all they will be the next Board members.

- "Teen dramas" - haha, something that is unavoidable for a youth group: break ups, make ups, disagreements in ways of doing things, conflicts with authority figures, pressures from school and family, transition to college, ... I know I won't see the same care-free, fun-loving, innocent group of TNs the next time I see them. But that's OK and that's how it should be happening, right? People grow up. The important thing is we have to realize they need a new kind of guidance in the new phase of their lives. And another equally important thing is not to neglect the up-coming "innocent" bunch.

- World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. I sincerely hope I could make it this time, and my group from Atlanta could also make it. Though I want TNTT to get involved it this pilgrimage, but it's wise not to have TNTT members organize the trip. We have to make this pilgrimage a project for all young adults of the parish, not just the TNTT members. Money is another issue.

- I know some guys have been working on building more sport programs in the parish, and I'm happy that they finally do that. I mean, it's about time! Hope and pray that they will take off. You guys have to update me what's going guys.

- Most likely I'll be in Mexico this Summer for a Spanish language program. I'm still not sure if I can make it back for Thang's ordination. That also means that I won't make it to Dai Hoi Ve Dat Hua in California on July 4.

- My Christmas break this year is gonna be 1 week shorter. I'm still debating whether I should help out at the Vocation Discernment Retreat for the Archdiocese on Dec 31. I do need time for my family, my friends and my "kids." By the way, any of you guys want to come to this discernment retreat, or any other come-and-see?

- Phuong's wedding in February (right?). I don't think I can make it. *sigh*

- Who is helping Binh get to college or technical college?

- The kids in my old scout troop, now all grown and established, have just found each other. We're trying to have a reunion this Christmas. You guys have to find chi Nhu too.

Who Wins?

Timmy was back home for the Christmas break. That first night, he pulled out the chess board and challenged his dad as he had used to when he was a little kid. Timmy is really good at chess, and he knows it. As far as he remembered, his dad had only won once or twice in the past. "Come on, dad. Let's see if you can beat me after all these years, hehe."

Dad looked at him, smiled and asked, "Any achievement lately?" Not even looking up, Timmy answered, "Well, no one in my hall can beat me yet since I moved in."

Two hours later, Timmy was not the same confident man. They had played four matches, and Timmy had not won even once. He looked at his dad, surprised and confused. He finally asked, "Have you played a lot lately? You just become ... so good at this"

Dad looked at him calmly, "I haven't played since the last time we played." Timmy became more confused, "But you sucked back then. I always won."

Dad just looked at Timmy silently. All of a sudden, Timmy understood everything. He remembered the night he came back from the first chess club meeting. He lost his confidence because the kids in the club were just too good. It was his dad who encouraged him to stay on, and offered to play with him every night for him to practice. “Foolish me, all this time I thought I was better than my dad.” He thought to himself, then finally asked his dad, “Why do you decide to show your true skill today?”

Putting the chess board away, dad answered, "Does it matter that you knew my skills back then or you know my skills now?" Timmy snapped, "Of course, dad. I thought I was good"

Dad slowly said, "Timmy, you are good because I am good. I was good back then as I am good now. But what matters more is I have always loved you. I loved you when you felt good about yourself, and I still love you the same when you feel like a loser"

Timmy answered impatiently, "Whatever, dad. What are you talking about?"

Dad continued, "Don't you feel like a loser now?" Timmy didn't answer though he knew that's how he was feeling. Dad said in a soft voice, "Aren't you also convinced now that I love you so much to let you win all these years?

Timmy and dad looked at each other. They had never been closer to each other.

Mercy

I come

Before you, helpless

No prayer can be said

No promise to be made

Have mercy on me

Lord, my God.

I come

So do the ones in my heart

They have their crosses

Just like I do mine

Before you, we are helpless

Little thing could be done

Solutions? I find none.

Have mercy on us

Lord, our God.

And I trust.

And we trust.

Song: Take Me To Your Heart

translated from Chinese
performed by Michael Learns to Rock


Hiding from the rain and snow
Trying to forget but I won't let go
Looking at a crowded street
Listening to my own heart beat

So many people all around the world
Tell me where do I find someone like you girl

(Chorus)
Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand before I'm old
Show me what love is - haven't got a clue
Show me that wonders can be true

They say nothing lasts forever
We're only here today
Love is now or never
Bring me far away

Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand and hold me
Show me what love is - be my guiding star
It's easy take me to your heart

Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend

Don't need too much talking without saying anything
All I need is someone who makes me wanna sing.




This is my own Viet translation (there is already one out there but I don't like it), with a specific arrangement:


Chôn cô đơn trong mưa với gió
Vùi thật sâu thật sâu, mà lòng sao khó quên.
Nhìn dòng người chiều nay xuống phố
Nghe con tim đau nỗi buồn tênh.

Này người trên thế giới, người gần xa có biết
Rằng tìm người tôi yêu mến ở nơi phương trời nao?

(Chorus)
Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand before I'm old
Show me what love is - haven't got a clue
Show me that wonders can be true

They say nothing lasts forever
We're only here today
Love is now or never
Bring me far away

Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand and hold me
Show me what love is - be my guiding star
It's easy take me to your heart




Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend

Don't need too much talking without saying anything
All I need is someone who makes me wanna sing.


Điệp khúc:
Đừng vội chê tình yêu, đời trôi thoáng theo gió
Đừng để tâm hồn cô đơn không xuyến xao.
Buồn vui bao ngày qua, tình yêu vẫn chưa có
Người hãy nói tình yêu thần tiên biết bao.

Đời trôi qua không chi kiên vững luôn
Chỉ có hôm nay, người hỡi
Không yêu mai sẽ xót xa
Tiếc đời mình vút qua.

Take me to your heart take me to your soul
Give me your hand and hold me
Show me what love is - be my guiding star
It's easy take me to your heart

Clip arts of Our Lady

Mother Mary Clipart

My scattered thoughts on the last days at St. John's

I've been here for 2 months and I have served 2 burial Masses, one Anglo, one Hispanic. Father asked me to move out quick or there would be another one, who knows it may be for a Vietnamese this time. On my last days here, however, I have to bury 5 baby fish. Poor little things. Probably I'm gonna name them after the guys who helped me clean the pool at the beginning of summer: Tony, Kenny, Michael, Thinh ... who else was there on that day, oh yeah, Ed (my pastor, Fr. Edward). There you go, RIP - Tony, Kenny, Micheal, Thinh and Ed.


I got to drive a school bus this summer, how cool is that. It's a small one though, but I got to turn open the Stop sign, and open the door to look when passing the railroad track. I don't know, I've always wanted to to that.

At White Water Park, in the afternoon, I actually told the kids, "You guys go on and play, I'm taking a nap." I actually took a nap next to some lady chaperons. *sigh* old age!



I've never eaten out this much. There is no cook in the Rectory, so I have to go out technically every meal, unless someone invites me to their homes. I understand now why priests usually have big belly. I think I'm good in that sense, because mine is ... noticeable :(

I've learned from doing fundraising in this parish that each ethnic community has a different approach to doing it: Bake Sale and cash donation work well w/ the Anglo and African-
American community, while raffle off religious articles and selling fruits work like magic for the Hispanic community. And for the Vietnamese ... I don't know. I only saw them at Mass, but they all disappeared before I finished blowing out the candles at the altar.

Speaking of which, I've wondered why the Vietnamese who go to this Church rarely talked to me over the time I was here while the other communities talked and joked around and hugged and kissed me like crazy. Probably because of the false announcement at the beginning of Summer: "Tri Nguyen, Seminarian of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, fluent in English, French and Spanish."

Though I'm on full-time assignment this summer, I think I've spent more time w/ my friends and the people from TNTT group at my parish, even more than before I joined the seminary.

I have once more proved to myself that online class doesn't work for me. I think I read more newspapers, watched more movies and youtube, and spent more time on facebook this summer. Every time I had to sit down to do online study for my Philosophy class, I found myself in those places after a short while. What else did I pick up this summer? Gardening and taking care of the fish. You know why, because the garden and the fish pond are far from my desk where I keep the Philosophy book.

I hope my mind is not this saturated by the time we get back to school at the end of August.

"The Apprentice" at St. John's

Remember that Donald Trump's show on NBC? Well, St. John the Evangelist, where I am assigned this summer, has its own version and I am the one and only participant this show. This is why I see it that way:

Goal:
- Organizing one or two youth events for the parish's youth. This has to happen before I leave, July 31.

Settings:
- Parish is made up of:
* 50% Hispanics, speak very little English, the largest number of youth (Mass in Spanish)
* Caucasians and African Americans
* Vietnamese, Filipinos, other Asian nationalities
* Nigerians
* Haitians (celebrated Mass in French or Creole)
- Many youth go to the PreK-8 parochial school; many parishioners work in that school.
- No youth minister, no youth group.
- Groups in existence at Church: Knights of Peter Claver (English, men, women, youth), Knights of Columbus (English, men), Spanish Mass choir.
- Most people travel out of town in summer, school faculty and staff are on vacation in summer.
- Few live in the close distance to the Church.

Challenges:
- I speak no Spanish nor French
- Fr. Hernan, the Spanish speaking priest is on vacation June 15 - July 15
- Fr. Ed, the pastor, also speaks Spanish, is on vacation July 16 - August 12
- No budget has been set for youth group
- Between the different ethnic groups, there has been no collaborative projects, all separated (though there is no animosity whatsoever among them; they get along just fine)

History of youth-related activities/efforts in the past:
- Summer 2008, a seminarian tried to organize a youth day/youth retreat. Very few showed up.
- There have been some fundraisers for youth events, people tend to support those, but the profits were not particularly high.
- Someone has tried to have the parish's youth come to use the Church and School facilities for sports, games, but there were no commitment from the adults to help supervising, nor the participation from the youth themselves.


I have less than 2 months, with no budget, to make a youth event happen.

The show is now on.

Life Journey within one week

Not having recovered from the DHNS youth convention in Tampa, I found myself on the highway to Charlotte, NC with a friend to visit the dying mother of a Salesian priest friend of mine.

Staying over night at her son’s house, we stayed up late talking with the family. We talked about the feisty mother who has been so strong to hold on to life with her very frail health; we talked about the loving father who has been so hurt seeing his loved one dying; we talked about the hardship that every single member of the family endures taking care of their wife/mother/mother-in-law/grandmother. Those are what we talked about; but what I saw was the tremendous love everyone was pouring out for one another. The daughter-in-law amazed me with her gentleness and utmost care when I caught her several time wiping the mother’s face and combing her hair. The loving husband made my heart sink when I caught him sitting quietly next to her for hours. He just looked at her and she looked at him. Not one word. Only enduring love. They have been together and the have been through so many ups and downs of their lives. The oldest daughter was patiently taking to her mom though she knew it was only a one-way communication: whatever the mom said, everyone understood, but she did not comprehend whatever was going on and being said. The grown son made a comment while spoonfeeding his mother, “Human life moves through cycle: you start out as a baby and you come back to the baby stage at the end of your life. My mom is acting like a baby now.” He stopped to hold the juice bottle for her to drink. “The problem is,” he continued, “with babies everyone wants to take care of, but with old people, they are easy to be forgotten and abandoned.” We all nodded, not knowing what to think of it. I didn’t know what he meant; I only saw the love and care that he was pouring out for his mom in these last days. He’s a business man, father of two, carrying some sickness himself. Over the 20 hours I stayed at their house, if he was not busy feeding her, he was fixing her bed, bathing her, cleaning the house in between business phone calls that he still had to make. The two school-age boys hugged their grandmother when they got home from school then went off to do homework, then play. I guess they couldn’t understand much what it really means to have a family member’s life slowly passed away in front of them. But that doesn’t matter much because what they are also witnessing is greater than any force in life. They are witnessing the love everyone is giving each other. This love their whole family is giving to their grandmother is not based on the beautiful appearances, because their dying grandmother is obviously not beautiful; not on physical strength because she is at her most frail stage of health; not on excitement, because there are only slow and silent moments in the house; not on productivity because their grandmother is doing nothing but being fed, and their whole family spends all their time taking care of her.

Yes, they are experiencing the counter-cultured love. They are experiencing the true Christian love through family love. The seed of love is being implanted in them when the see what their parents, their aunt and their grandfather are doing.

Young people renew my enthusiasm for life. Old people remind me of the beauty of life. But people treating each other with Christian assures me of the love of God.

Daydream in class these days

Living a life on my own strength
Thought I could do well, and could go at length
But without you in just a heart beat
I came to term with who I truly need

It's not about me
But grace given for free
It's not about strength
But your mercy that never ends
It's not about success
But faith lived out at my best
It's not about righteousness
For who to you is just

It's not about me, it's not
But all about you, my God.

Stations of the Cross

I posted on this page the different versions of the Stations of the Cross that we used at my parish. The Lent 2007 is an adaptation, bilingual with slideshow and music accompaniment. The Lent 2008 is a shortened version, putting together by Class Vào Đời II, with a skit for each station. The third one was used by the Salesian January Leadership Retreat in 2007.

ABOVE ALL - TÌNH CAO SÂU

by Michael W. Smith

Verse 1
Above all powers, Above all kings
Above all nature, And all created things
Above all wisdom, And all the ways of man
You were here before the world began

Verse 2
Above all kingdoms, Above all thrones
Above all wonders the world has ever known
Above all wealth and treasures of the earth
There's no way to measure what You're worth

CHORUS
Crucified, laid behind the stone
You lived to die, rejected and alone
Like a rose trampled on the ground
You took the fall, and thought of me
Above all.







TÌNH CAO SÂU

Vượt quyền quý cao sang, quyền thần thế gian
Vượt ngàn kiếp sinh linh, trên hết muôn dân trần hoàng.
Ngài từ xưa đó đã có trước khi trời đất
Ôi, quyền năng Thiên Chúa có ai sánh bằng.

Một lời Chúa ban ra, thì liền có ngay
Mặt trời, ánh sao đêm, muôn thú cá chim từng bầy.
Người từ bụi đất, Chúa thổi hơi ban sự sống
Ôi, tình yêu Thiên Chúa, ôi sao tuyệt vời

Trên thập giá, Ngài chịu chết đau thương
Chịu chôn huyệt đá, trời đen khóc thê lương
Sống kiếp người đắng cay hay khổ đau
Chúa không e ngại, vì yêu đoàn con
Tình cao sâu.

SANCTUARY

Lord, prepare me
To be sanctuary
Pure and holy
Tried and true.

With thanksgiving
I'll be a living
Sanctuary
For you.





My translation:

Ước mong một đời
Làm nhan thánh Chúa Trời
Được trong trắng mãi
Được yêu chẳng phai.

Đếm ơn mọi ngày
Tình yêu Chúa thắp đầy
Nguyện xin hát khúc
Cám ơn Ngài.

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Chorus:

There is none like you
No one else could touch my heart like you do
I could search for all eternity long, and find:
There is none like you.






My translation of the Chorus:

Có ai bằng Chúa đâu
Ai yêu con thiết tha, chạm hồn con thẳm sâu?
Con có kiếm muôn nơi trọn đời, nhưng vẫn là chân lý:
Có ai bằng Chúa đâu.

in preparing for DHNS - notes

Be Deeply Rooted so to be Far Reaching


I'm actually so happy when reading Long's email about some suggested themes for the next DHNS MDN. It is clear there are two themes they want to incorporate, and the reason I'm so happy is because these are the two very essential aspects of the identity of a member of TNTT, or even for any Catholic at all.

1 - Coming back to our root which is the Eucharist
2 - Reaching out to others through service, thus the awareness of the mission work led by cha Thong and cha Chuong

These are the two movements that a person goes through over his/her growing up. There are points in their life, the only way for them to reach the, so called, "spiritual being," or God, is through service: doing good deeds for others. There are also other points when they feel that the only way to reach God is through deep praying and worshiping. There is nothing wrong with either approach, but too much of one while lacking the other only reflects a spiritual life that is not yet wholesome: that person will continue sensing something missing in their life.

Is there a starting point: prayer first or service first? There may be several different points of view on this question, but in my experience, it really depends on the developmental stage of a person or an age group in a social context. For younger people, they may be at the stage when it is harder to grasp the spiritual as something one can communicate through prayer. They need something concrete. They also need to be able to "feel" what they are doing, and feel that what they are doing is really going somewhere. For groups of people who are more experienced in life, especially spiritual life, who are more capable of abstract thinking, and who are more able to reach the conviction that God does exist in the things that human can't touch or feel, they may be more likely to find God's presence through their praying and worshiping.

The important thing to remember is, however, that it doesn't matter where we start, we have to keep moving. The moment we think we have reached your destination in spiritual life, our spiritual life is dead. It has to keep leading us to the deeper and deeper levels. Meeting God through prayer and worship will purify our intention and and strengthen our charity, so we can serve people with a more unconditional love. Serving people with an unconditional love will lead us to a deeper conviction that we and our human family will forever need God who comes to satisfy our hearts' desire through prayer. The cycle keeps on to lead us to the deeper and deeper levels of reality.



==============================================================================================
But for a Catholic, is that all: prayer and service? what makes us Catholic unique?

So we understand the role of prayer and worship and service in our spiritual life. What makes us Catholic unique from the rest is: more than prayer which is a human action, we have liturgy which is a divine action through human act.

--> Need to develop more on this thoughts

--> Maybe I can work on sketching or suggesting some applications for a Eucharistic way of life (spirituality)

===============================================================================================
The four aspects of youth development = a suggested model for a youth convention


1. Human aspect: all the fun activities such as sports, competitions, games, community buildings, dramas, sight-seeing, youth rally (with the band)

2. The encounter with Jesus:
(a) the personal encounter: private prayer, adoration, praise & worship, faith-sharing sessions, quiet time for meditation, perpetual adoration (expose the Sacrament overnight with someone adoring all the time)
(b) the encounter within the Church: sacraments, liturgy

3. Membership in the Church community --> at this convention, it could be teaching NSs (and HTs) what it means to be a member of the Catholic Church: teachings about the Eucharist, for example ...

4. Mission: sent out to serve others --> raise awareness of cha Thong's and cha Chuong's mission works, I suggest some concrete plans and long term projects so the kids can go home and do it and do it for a long time.


================================================================================================
The Fourth Day: Now that we have fun at the Convention and all, what's next?

- Ongoing formation on the Eucharist:
* Nghia Si
* Huynh Truong (I think more important, since they will in turn lead Nghia Si, but it really depends on the condition of each Doan)

- Mission
Got to work w cha Chuong and cha Thong on this. Can we make a commitment? for how long? what involves?
--> get cha Chuong & cha Thong on board to plan for this before presenting the projects to NS

Four days until the Feast of John Bosco

"It is enough that you are young for me to love you." (St. John Bosco)

Considering the sensitivity of our time and our current situation, such saying could be misinterpreted, but for me it reveals the secret of JB's holiness that I am so drawn to.

- Unconditional love. You can compare notes with me: in any relationship at all, the more unconditional love exists, the more meaningful and fruitful that relationship will be, the longer that relationship will last. JB's love for the young creates saints at early age, creates rapport between him and his students that lasts beyond his life time and his geographical location. God is not mentioned in this quote, but if you're on the same page with JB, you'd understand this is the very good news that Jesus wants to communicate to everyone: it is enough ... for me to love you.

- "... that you are young ..." Face it, if you are an adult, loud noise, rowdiness, spontaneity, immaturity, carelessness, etc ... are not something that you are naturally attracted to, unless you see it as the whole-package deal - you love the young, you love what comes with them. It doesn't mean you endore those traits; it only means you accept the young people in your life for who they are. What comes with young people is also the pure enthusiasm toward goodness in life, the passion that they seek for and instill in what they do, ... The late Pope John Paul II once said that young people were not the future but the present of the Church. JPII had the same heart that John Bosco had. If you embrace the goodness of the present moment, you will embrace the beauty of young people.


This saying of John Bosco is enough for me to work on for my whole life. I have to come to God regularly to ask for the grace that can purify my heart to love unconditionally; I have to learn the charity that enables me to accept people for who they are, then I believe the unconditional love of God will do the rest, whether it is through me or through anyone or anything else.


Watch movie about St. John Bosco on youtube

The joy of road trips

A couple close friends gathered at my house one night, and after having some food and drinks, one of us was crazy enough to come up with a suggestion to do a road trip, and the rest was crazy enough to enthusiastically support the suggestion. First we thought of going to Florida, which was at least 5 hours away, but then we decided on Savannah so it would be a little closer, 3.5 hours. One of the guys went back home to borrow his mom's van so eight of us could be in the same vehicle, and while doing so he also picked up another spontaneous guy. While waiting for the van to come pick us up at my house, some of us, including myself, started having second thought. Is this a good idea? One girl had a business meeting at 12 noon, and I had an appointment at 10 the next morning. All thoughts of common sense popped in our heads: the driving would be tiring, especially when it was at night; we would have nothing to do since the beach was closed at night, and no restaurants or other attractions would be open that early in the morning; the appointments that people had the next morning ... But since we had decided, and some were just too excited about the spontaneity, we just kept going with the plan.



We left my house at 1:30 in the morning. The middle bench was pulled out so there was more room for people to sit on the floor to play cards. The music was on and loud. Fun conversations were flying around. Typical fun stuffs of a road trip. But they didn't last too long since it was between 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning, so one after the other eventually fell asleep.



At 4:45 am, we made it to the beach and we were dead tired. We walked around the beach, took some pictures, enjoyed the stars that became so clear in the total darkness of the sky and the beach. We also tried to walk in the water but since it was too cold we quit immediately. After less than an hour, we were on our way back, but not before being the first customers of the day to a local McDonald. Needless to say the general atmosphere in the van on the way back. There were only two drivers for the whole way, and the rest were sleeping. The business meeting had to be canceled, and my appointment was postponed. We made it back to my house at 10 am.

When saying goodbye, someone said through his yawning, "Well, it's been fun, but the next time you suggest something like this, I'll beat the crap out of you."

And everyone laughed, but their eyes were only half way open. Everyone was just too tired.



A pointless trip, some may say. Pure craziness, and pure youthfulness, all spontaneity. Seriously, seven hour driving in the night and early morning for less than an hour taking pictures in the dark, and having McDonald breakfast! Just pointless and crazy. Even I couldn't believe myself being part of this adventure.

But the value is in the road trip itself. It is in the "on the way," in the journey, in the process, more than in what to do once we reach the destination. We will continue talking about this crazy trip for a long time after the event. The next time any of us eight sees each other, it would take only a small reminder of the trip: Savannah, road trip, etc... for us to have a good conversation, "remember that night ...?"

I grew closer to my friends. We have one more shared experience. It doesn't matter what we got to do at the beach, we were together on the way there, and we were there together, ...

Being present to one another through it all, that is what it's all about.

Christmas 2008