Taking It In

Greetings everyone,

As I mentioned in my previous entry, I decided to spend about three weeks in Madison.  The main intention of my break from Peace Corps work was to celebrate the wedding of two of my closest friends, Chris Vergeront and Kacie O’Brien, who married each other over the Labor Day weekend.  The wedding festivities were absolutely beautiful and I am very delighted that I was able to be a part of it all.  Also while I was home, I was able to cheer on my older brother, Jeff, who successfully completed the Ironman race in Madison which was phenomenal to witness.  He finished two hours quicker this year when comparing his time to his 2006 Ironman result. Go Team Jeffy!

My return to Madison was filled with many more instances of happiness besides just the main reasons for my trip of the wedding and the Ironman.  I was able to visit with many members of my family and friends who I hadn’t seen in several months.  I spent valuable time with people partaking in the things that we all enjoyed doing together before I departed for the Eastern Caribbean including:  Disc golfing, going out for custard, riding on the Madison bike paths, playing board games, watching movies, and hanging out at the pool, among many other fun, leisure activities.

As I rekindled connections with many friends and family members, I realized how fortunate I am for having so many wonderful individuals in my life.  While interacting with everyone, I felt as though I had never been away for even a few days much less for twenty-one months as we effortlessly jumped right back into how things were before I set forth on my “Peace Corps Voyage.”  This observation shows how genuinely developed relationships will not wither away from prolonged absences.  Obviously, I didn’t get to see or spend quality time with all the people who I would have liked to see as my time was limited but hopefully I will be able to reconnect with those individuals in the future.

On a particular weekend during my time in Madison, another two of my closest friends, Dan and Jamie, coordinated their schedules so we could hang out together as we have consistently done so since we were young children.  While I’ve been in the Peace Corps, both of their schedules have become quite busy as they are doing amazing things with their lives.  Dan is currently studying to attain a PhD in Aerospace, Aeronautics Engineering at the University of Illinois while doing a fellowship with NASA and he just recently got engaged as well.  Jamie graduated from law school last May and he is currently working as a Patent Attorney for a major law firm in Milwaukee.  I felt quite honored that both of these best friends of mine were able to make time to visit Madison while I was in town. 

Even at times when life feels like everything is going alright, things happen to remind us of how precious our existence is.  A major sad event for me that occurred while I was back in the U.S. was that my uncle who was my mom’s only sibling passed away after a treacherous bout with cancer.  Uncle Gery and his wife, Aunt Bonnie, have been essentially another set of parents for my brothers and me throughout our entire lives.  Actually, they have been just like parents to all of the family members on Aunt Bonnie’s side of the family as well.  They have been supportive of us through everything and we will never forget Gery’s life essence which revolved around happiness and love for those around him.  The angel Clarence says it all in It’s a Wonderful Life that, “Each man’s life touches so many other lives.  When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”  You will be missed, Uncle Gery. 

Time spent cherishing our family and friends is time well spent.

Take care,

Joe