Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

*Albert Camus

The following are words I wrote to a Warden, where I worked and completed my last day there this day, at a prison where I served as a Chaplain. I wanted to express gratitude to him, for his Kindness to me. This is from the slightly longer note:,

I will remain grateful to you each on staff here who welcomed me and supported both my work and presence here. To me, all Life is Sacred, and each place we live and work is part of that Pilgrimage, as we together pass through our days here. And we often meet for a short time, but the time leaves a lasting impression that graces the rest of our days.

That last sentence resonated with me, after sending the letter. As we get older, it seems we appreciate others more, if we are aging Gracefully. We look back and learn to be grateful for those who have lived and moved on from Earth and graced our lives with their presence. A most wonderful gift we can receive is to know someone who graces our lives when with us, so that the ray of his or her light still illumines our selves and our way, when we part ways. Such persons remind us there are Intimacies in Grace that remain for us to explore, Grace in Grace, together. These persons challenge us to inquire again, "What really is this we call love?".

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

*Jesus (ESV)