I sit here in my apartment in Pittsburgh listening to songs that I haven't heard in years yet when I hear the music and the lyrics I'm immediately brought back to where I was almost fifteen years ago. Sitting with the rest of the choir at St. Rose of Lima Church, Ted's fingers dancing effortlessly and flawlessly across the piano, Debby at the lectern, Marcel & Dave to my right, Marty and Chris to my left, Mary, Chrystal, Sherry, Emily, Debbie & Don in front of me. Our voices blending together in harmony, the lyrics flowing from our mouths, rising up and leading the congregation in song. If I close my eyes I can still feel myself there; I can feel the love and peace from my friends; I can feel the warmth rising within me; I can feel God.
I want to go back there and I wonder what it would take to bring us there. Ted is gone now, passed away just a couple of short years after he stopped playing for the church. Don & Sherry left long ago, ousted by a priest who didn't see eye to eye with them, Dave & Debby moved out of the area. Mary went off to college, Chrystal left the next year, Marty & Deb divorced a few years back, Marcel has been sick off & on for the past few years, Emily is just recently married and living in Germany now. Our lives have taken us all in very different directions yet I know that if they each were to hear the music they would be brought back to the same place that I am and I wonder if it would even be possible to get the choir back together again to catch up, to sing together and to let our voices blend.
Mary and I keep in touch, and I hear from Chrystal every now and then, Emily just left for Germany, I know Don is the superintendent of a Catholic school back in Maine and Sherry is still an OR nurse, Chris still cuts my hair every now & then but I have no idea what the rest are up to. Maybe I'll try to find out.
Gather Us In – Marty Haugen
On Eagles Wings – Michael Joncas
You Are Mine – David Haas
1 comment:
I have often wondered the same thing in the past. Time just gets away from you and before you know it all the people who were dear to you are gone. There are times I've tried to get ahold of you, but you never called back. Life gets in the way, I know that just as much as the next person. Germany is beautiful. Ahren is growing like a weed, he'll be 7 in March. And, Kevin is a wonderful man who's personality is so parallel to mine that it's scary sometimes, but in a good way. Email me sometime, or write to me on myspace. I hope all is well with you. Miss you.
Post a Comment