Sitting behind the desk at the Bryn Athyn Cathedral is a good gig. I get to chat with people who are dropping off flowers, or practicing for a service. It is my task to remind those enjoying the grounds not to ride bikes or spread a picnic across the lawn. But the gardens look even more beautiful with an appreciative audience.

This week the Music Director mentioned to me that there is an historic drawing from the early 1900's, which includes the elaborate vision of the builder. Many of the dreams came true, such as the nave, and vestry, choir hall and chapel. Other possibilities did not make the final cut, but I was enchanted to see them on paper. Mr. Pitcairn had hoped for wheat fields, in which to grow grain for the Holy Supper, and a vineyard to produce grapes. He imagined a flour mill and wine press near where the shops ended up, the ones where stained glass and masonry happens today. His drawing included a dogwood forest, an orchard, and a pond with a shelter for swans. There was a section for the bishop and his family to live in, complete with a garage. I remembered my own childhood when my brother and I were in charge of changing the words on the church sign in California, because we did live on the property. 

But we had no swans. 

My own daughters used to spend hours designing elaborate homes with architectural plans, and the names of the families who lived in them. Maybe many of us blur the lines between reality and what we hope for. 

I am grateful for the people who dreamed of this amazing building, and the artisans who brought it to life. Plus I feel curious about what homes will be like in heaven. I bet there will be swans.