John and I are leading several marriage groups each week. When I realized that the closing of the physical door to meeting in person was accompanied by the opening of the window to virtual gatherings, I got excited. Anyone with a computer could participate if they wished. One collection of couples has a strong thread of history to draw on, but another is pretty eclectic. I have no idea what the common themes will be, which is both unsettling and thrilling. What I have noticed after thirty years of shepherding such groups, is that we are all more similar than appears at first blush. 

 

Speaking of blushing, one of my favorite questions to lob is "How did you fall in love?" What never ceases to delight me is the interplay of caprice, and an undercurrent of providence. Some people pick up the signs. Others are bowled over. Yet the vantage point of looking back after a decade or three affords a perspective that feeds my sense of wonder. Perhaps it is fallout from the apparent absence of an overarching Plan to current events. 

 

In a culture where lack can loom large.... not enough money, or time, or freedom from restrictions.... I marvel at what emerges as people begin to speak. Feelings, and memories, humor, and tenderness come spilling out from the person's storehouse of reserves. Unbeknownst to the one talking, an abundance of blessings lies just under the veneer of blandness and anxiety that is all too familiar.