My best friend--Fr. Bill C. Smith died a few nights ago (he's the priest in the photo at the right of the altar at my wedding). These past few months have been quite a long journey. I am privileged to have been so close to such a saintly man. God is so good to me. I have known dear Fr. Bill for almost thirty years and have learned so much from his holy life. I plan to write about him soon in upcoming posts, but for now I am weary. It has been a long week - watching Fr. Bill in his last days. When he barely had strength to continue living, he was concerned about giving us blessings - sometimes in Latin! The blessings in his last couple of days were given to us with a hand almost too weak to be lifted. His love for his friends and family will continue, no doubt from his eternal rest.
Today my son moved into his dorm at college. Driving to his university, these thoughts whirled round my brain - I feel like a mother bird pushing her baby out of the nest so that he will learn to fly...except I am having a hard time giving him that final shove. How did Joseph grow up so quickly? Whether I am ready or not to give that last push, the time is right now and time won't wait for me - I wiped my eyes and put on my sunglasses to hide my emotions...
