A Beacon of Light

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  • My name is Kevin Carroll. I was born and raised in San Francisco, California, where I attended Saint Ignatius College Preparatory. I am a graduate of both Santa Clara University and the University of San Francisco. Following a 40-year career in teaching and pastoral ministry, I launched a new career as a writer and speaker.

    I live in San José, California. My wife, Kathy, and I have three adult sons and five precious grandchildren. I have much for which to be grateful.

    I can be reached via email at kmc43sjc@gmail.com

    My books are available for purchase online from Amazon. I also have copies of some of these titles at my home for those who would like to buy them directly from me.

    A Moment’s Pause for Gratitude  (2017)

    Cherries in the Summer  (2021)

    The Ambassador of 38th Avenue  (2022)

    Dad: 12 Questions…  (2023)

    A Focus on Gratitude  (2024)

    Through the Lens of Gratitude  (2024)

    A Bahamian Odyssey (2026)

  • “TEAM” is an Acronym

    “Coming together is a beginning, 
    staying together is progress, 
    and working together is success.” 
    – Henry Ford

    It has long been said that there is no “I” in the word TEAM. This is true. Some have also pointed out that the word TEAM is actually an acronym: Together Everyone Achieves More. In my experience, this has been proven to be true, as well. The importance of collaboration has been demonstrated time and time again. Professional basketball offers us a perfect example.

    There have been many exceptional professional players who have not experienced the success of a NBA championship. In the game of basketball, a cohesive team will defeat a team of gifted individual athletes more often than not. When Michael Jordan was scoring 50 points per game for the Chicago Bulls, the team often came up short at the end of the season. When Jordan shared the burden of leadership with his teammates, lowering his average points per game, but increasing the number of assists per game, the Bulls enjoyed several championship seasons. Jordan acknowledged this himself when he said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships.”

    Of course, teamwork is critical in other sports, as well. Babe Ruth once said, “The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don’t play together, the club won’t be worth a dime.”

    Collaboration has also proven to be critical to success in the workplace. Sadly, some workers are more concerned about receiving recognition for the work they do individually, rather than working as a team with colleagues. President Harry Truman pointed out, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” Teamwork is essential to overall success. 

    I have long been impressed with the African proverb which states, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

    Amy Poehler is a comedian, actor, and writer probably best known for her seven years on Saturday Night Live. There is no doubt that she learned the critical need for collaboration working with such a talented cast. She offers a piece of wisdom which can help us all. She said, “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.”

    With each passing day, I am finding this advice to be increasingly beneficial. Working collaboratively with others can be transforming. 

  • Random Thoughts

    “How amazing it is to find someone  
    who wants to hear about all the things 
    that go on in your head.”
    ~ Unknown

    Each blog post I write focuses on one particular thought or theme. This one is different. I’m not sure why I feel inclined to do this tonight, but I’ve had a few random thoughts running circles in my mind this evening, so I thought I’d write about them. Perhaps, in doing so, I might be able to make more sense of them.

    • I miss my Mom. I guess I could say this every day, but, for some reason, it’s hitting me harder tonight. I looked at the clock a half-hour ago and it was 7:15 p.m. That’s the time I would call Mom each night on FaceTime prior to her passing last August. Our conversations would last anywhere from ten to ninety minutes, depending upon Mom’s energy level each night. I miss those calls.

    • When I flew down to Nassau to say goodbye to my friend, Kim, in mid-March, the experience was bittersweet. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to spend time with Kim and her husband, Simon, but it was difficult knowing that it would be our last visit. She died a few weeks later. While in Nassau, however, I had the opportunity to get together with a number of my other former students from Saint Augustine’s College. I also met someone new — a young woman from Trinidad, now living in Toronto, who is the Caribbean recruitment representative for Seneca College in Toronto. Her job takes her to places like the Bahamas, Jamaica, Aruba, Guyana, and Barbados to inform potential students about the educational opportunities at Seneca. It sounds a bit crass to suggest that her friendship replaces the one I had with Kim. That’s not how relationships work. Meeting her, however, was one of the highlights of my brief island getaway.

    • Life is full of surprises. In an effort to promote my latest book about the relationship between fathers and their adult children, I contacted the Santa Clara Adult Education Center to see if they might be interested in offering a course for men to discuss the joys and challenges of fatherhood. After some consideration, I was informed that such a course really didn’t fit in with their program. Much to my surprise, however, the woman with whom I was speaking asked, “Could you teach a course in poetry?” Never in my life had I considered such an undertaking. Well, the first of two eight-week sessions begins on Tuesday, August 15th at 6:30 p.m. Yes, I’ll be back in the classroom, but in a very different role this time.

    • The English language offers us a variety of ways to express ourselves. My writing has been described by many as “conversational,” and easy to read. I like that feedback, since that is exactly how I want my writing to be. Some, however, feel the need to either impress others with their words or to exaggerate their accomplishments with a more confusing description than is necessary. I saw this example posted by a friend on Facebook this afternoon:

    Under the “experience” heading on a résumé, a job applicant wrote: “I changed lightbulbs.” When he took it to a career counselor, it was recommended that he spruce it up a little bit. On the final draft of the applicant’s résumé, the statement read: “Single-handedly managed the successful upgrade and deployment of new environmental illumination systems with zero cost overruns and zero safety incidents.” Yeah, that’ll do the job.

    Have a great weekend!

  • A Gifted Musician

    “Some people come into our lives, 
    leave footprints on our hearts, 
    and we are never the same.” 
    ~ Franz Schubert

    He was called a titan of soothing instrumental piano music. I don’t recall exactly when I became aware of George Winston and his gift for music, but by the mid-1990s, he was one of my favorite entertainers. His music was soothing to the ears, and to the soul. Winston passed away peacefully last Sunday after a ten-year battle with cancer. He was 73 years old.

    One of the first George Winston pieces I heard was his rendition of the Pachelbel Canon in D. It is one of the most popular tunes in history. I used it in class for prayer many times. I used it at home and in my car for the same reason. I recall using it for guided meditation experiences on retreats, too. It is a powerful arrangement which always reminds me of the sacredness of life and the presence of God in it.

    Another of my favorite George Winston songs is Thanksgiving. This song was included on his album entitled December. The album was recorded during the fall of 1982 and released at the end of that year. Like his rendition of Canon in D, Thanksgiving was soothing, peaceful, and a true gift to those who had the opportunity to listen to it. I liked it so much that, in November 1994, when I took responsibility for the Campus Ministry Program at Saint Lawrence Academy in Santa Clara, I used Thanksgiving as a reflection song following a Scripture reading at an all-school Thanksgiving prayer service.

    The prayer service was held in the parish church, prior to the 2001 renovation of the worship space. The altar, at that time, faced Saint Lawrence Drive. Those sitting in the assembly would see the ambo, from which the Scriptures would be proclaimed, on the right side of the sanctuary. To the left side of the sanctuary was the area for music ministers. The organ was situated so that the organist faced the side of the altar. A piano was placed in an “L” shape to the organ so that the pianist would be facing the assembly. And, of course, there was a sound system for when guitars and singers were used for music ministry.

    The organ had a roll-down door to protect the keyboards when not in use. The piano, too, had a wooden cover to protect the keys. Prior to the students and faculty arriving in the church, I placed a CD player on top of the wooden cover of the piano. It was flat, so it provided a sturdy place for the CD player. I set a microphone in front of the speaker to project the music throughout the worship space. I cued the CD to Thanksgiving. I tested it to be sure the volume would be appropriate, and it was. I took a seat on the piano bench. When it was time to play the song, all I had to do was press “Play.”

    When one of the senior students completed the Scripture reading, I waited for a moment to give her time to return to her seat. I then pressed “Play.” The music of George Winston’s Thanksgiving filled the worship space. Students and faculty seemed attentive to and appreciative of the selection. When the song ended, I was unprepared for what happened next.

    The assembly broke out in thunderous applause, which then led to a standing ovation. It took me a moment to figure out what was going on. Then, it hit me. They thought I had played the piece on the piano! Many of my colleagues were shocked, because they didn’t know I played the piano. I don’t. 

    For those who came to me to compliment me on the performance, I was honest with them and explained what had happened. For those who didn’t speak with me, well, I guess they just went on believing that I had a gift of which they had been unaware.

    George Winston has left us a legacy of piano solos and other songs which will continue to bring peace and prayerfulness to our world.

  • Beyond the Cover

    “We are like books. Most people will only see 
    our cover, the minority read only the 
    introduction, many people believe the 
    critics. Few will know our content.”
    ~ Emile Zola

    These words by French novelist Emile Zola got me thinking. Who really knows me? There are many people who think they know me, but do they really? Probably not. The analogy Zola makes between people and books is a valid one.

    I’ve met countless people in my lifetime. As a result, I have many acquaintances today. After almost seventy years on this planet, and being the social creature I am, it’s no surprise that I would have connected in some way with thousands of men and women in various settings. Some are relatives or neighbors, while others are former students, colleagues, or people with whom I interact in the community on a fairly regular basis. I even have a few virtual friends — individuals with whom I interact on social media, yet have never had the opportunity to meet. 

    I am energized by meeting people. Hearing the life stories of others, and sharing some of my life experiences with them, brings me tremendous joy. Every now and then, I meet someone with whom I have a profound connection — a shared worldview or experience of life — which enables us to form a closer bond than I have with most other people I’ve met. These are the individuals I get to know on a deeper level, and who get to know me beyond just my book cover.

    It seems that most people, and, at times, I am one of them, are content to just know the book cover of those we meet. We enjoy getting to know them on a surface level without the need or desire to know them in a more intimate way. There are many people I see on a fairly regular basis who are totally content with just knowing me at this level. That’s okay. I don’t expect everyone to want to be close friends with me. Accepting our relationship as mere acquaintances is good enough for them, and for me. This probably describes most of my relationships.

    There are those, however, who make the effort to open the book, read the introduction, and have a desire to read more. A few will read the entire book. In doing so, they are then better prepared to make an educated decision regarding the type of relationship they want to have with me. I am in full agreement with Zola that “few will know our content.” 

    I am grateful for those who have made the effort to get to know me well. I also appreciate those who are content to know me at a book cover level. Their presence in my life can still be enriching and meaningful. Consequential relationships require time, attention, and a level of vulnerability with which many are uncomfortable. All the more reason to cherish those few substantive relationships in my life.

  • Human Kindness

    “The best portion of a good man’s life  
    is his little, nameless, unremembered  
    acts of kindness and love.” 
    ~ William Wordsworth

    I do them. So do you! It might be something as simple as holding a door open for someone entering or exiting a store. It might be slowing down a bit to allow the motorist in the next lane to merge into the lane ahead of you. It might even be paying for the coffee of the person behind you in the drive-thru line at your local Starbucks. Opportunities to do simple acts of kindness are available to us every day. Many people take advantage of such opportunities.

    “Do unto others…” It’s such a simple concept. Sadly, however, there are those who simply don’t get it. These are the people who, because of either ignorance or arrogance, have no awareness or concern about those around them. These are the people who think only of themselves. These people exist.

    I am convinced, however, that those individuals are far outnumbered by women and men who have a healthy awareness of those around them, and a compassionate concern for the needs of others. Our actions need not be life-changing, though they have the potential to be. 

    I’m reminded of a story in one of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books in which a high school freshman emptied out his locker at the end of a school day and was struggling carrying all his books home. A small group of bullies thought it would be funny to run past him and intentionally knock the books out of his arms. Another student, who witnessed this incident, crossed the street to help the boy pick up his belongings. In fact, he carried some of them himself and accompanied the boy back to his home.

    Three years later, at the high school graduation ceremony, the boy who had the books knocked out of his arms that day was standing in front of his classmates, the school faculty, and guests as the valedictorian. Towards the end of his speech, he said he wanted to thank one person, in particular, for being responsible for his being there that day. He went on to describe the incident which had taken place in his freshman year, admitting that the reason he had all his books with him that day was that he was planning to go home and kill himself. Because of the kindness and compassion shown him by the young man who stopped to help him, he changed his mind.

    For the boy who crossed the street to assist the young man, it was, more than likely, a simple, perhaps unremembered act of kindness. For the valedictorian, it was life-changing. We just never know.

  • The Missing Piece

    “You are never too old to 
    set another goal or to 
    dream a new dream.” 
    ~ C.S. Lewis

    Motivation — that elusive piece of the puzzle. I found it twenty years ago. I made a commitment to myself at that time to focus on my health. I was in excellent physical condition when Kathy and I married in 1985, but by 2003, all those chili-cheese nachos and polish dogs at the Little League field started catching up with me. Even before that, there were countless trips, most often on rainy days, to McDonald’s or Taco Bell with the boys. We could eat lunch or dinner, then the kids could run around in the play areas with all the tubes and colorful plastic balls. While they played, I often ate what they had not finished from their meals — cheeseburgers, fries, chicken nuggets, tacos, or burritos. It’s not good to waste food, right? Well,… I waisted it!

    I don’t recall where I found it, but in early June 2003, I found the motivation I needed to make a change. What had been so difficult for so long suddenly became easy. I changed what I was eating, identified a few foods I would not eat, and started walking on a daily basis. For breakfast, I’d have a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries, strawberries, or dried cranberries. Each day for lunch, I ate a bowl of cut-up fresh fruit and a chocolate chip granola bar. I was open to just about any reasonable dinner, but I’d eat nothing after 7 PM. The foods I completely eliminated were pizza, donuts, and fast food, including Starbucks.

    My effort paid off. By the first week of June 2004, I had dropped forty pounds. I looked better, and I felt better. What a significant reward for what seemed like such a simple lifestyle change. I did well keeping the weight off until the summer of 2008. At that time, a summer commitment helping a friend in San Francisco, which included sitting at a desk all day, restaurant lunches five days a week, and restaurant dinners twice a week, took a significant toll on my body. Then, on the last day of July, my Dad died unexpectedly. That took a significant toll on my heart. There were other factors, too, which left me with little to no motivation to do much of anything.

    Here I am 15 years later. For the past few years, I’ve felt much like I did in the early 2000s. I knew what I needed to do to change things, but the motivation to do so was nowhere to be found. The pandemic didn’t help, but I can’t really place the blame on Covid. I chose to live a sedentary lifestyle, with little concern for what I was eating. Again, it all caught up with me. Now here’s the strange part.

    In mid-March, I spent a week in Nassau to say goodbye to one of my former students who was dying of cancer. She has since passed. My physical condition made travel difficult for me. As happy as I was to be in the Bahamas, I felt miserable, but I ignored the feeling. Saying goodbye to my friend was difficult enough. It wasn’t until about a week after I got home that I noticed a change. I started thinking about my future, and what I want that future to be. Then, much to my surprise, there it was: the missing puzzle piece. I’m not exactly sure where I found it, but I’ve got it now, and I’m not going to lose it again.

    Some people make New Year resolutions. I prefer to make mid-year resolutions. Beginning June 1st, I set out on the road to improve my overall health. Kathy is accompanying me on the journey. One year from today, I will turn 70. I want that day to be one of celebration, not only for having survived seven decades on this earth, but for achieving my goal (our goal) of good health. It’s always tough to get started, but with motivation, anything is possible.  

  • A Work in Progress

    “Learn to operate in the duality of 
    owning your brilliance and imperfections.” 
    Sope Agbelusi 

    As I gratefully approach yet another birthday, I would like very much to believe that I have my life in order. I’d like to believe that, through all the trials and tribulations of the past sixty-nine years, I have mastered all there is to be mastered in this amazing Game of Life. I would also like to believe that life is fair, that global hunger will be eradicated in my lifetime, and that justice for all is a reality in our country. Sadly, it’s not that easy.

    Aside from my own actions and attitudes, I have no control over the fairness of life. I cannot guarantee that global hunger will cease to be a crisis in our world. I cannot promise that each and every American will experience the justice they deserve and desire. I would like to believe that I might have some type of positive influence on these things, but I know my ability to do so is severely limited. This, however, does not preclude me from seeing the world, those around me, and myself as inherently good.

    I’m not perfect. I know this. Like most others I know and love, I am a work in progress. I live each day with the hope of making a positive difference in the lives of those around me. I’m aware of my foibles, but I’m not going to allow them to interfere with my purpose in life. Rather, I make a conscientious effort to target them as a way of improving myself.

    Each morning, when the sun comes up, I make a commitment to myself to be a better person than I was the previous day. I know many others who do this, as well. In a recent exchange of email, a friend shared with me that a few years ago, he identified the five biggest weaknesses or challenges he’s faced in his life. His list included humility, patience, empathy, giving, and forgiveness. Today, at the age of 82, he acknowledged to me that he still has to work on the first three. What an impressive example for us all — to identify our most significant areas of weakness and to commit ourselves to consciously working to improve in those areas of our lives.

    Those familiar with my writing are well aware of my love and respect for Coach John Wooden. He is probably best known for leading the UCLA Bruins’ men’s basketball team to ten national championships in twelve years. Yes, Wooden was an amazing coach, but he considered himself to be a teacher, first and foremost. In basketball, he stressed mastery of the basic fundamentals of the game. He took the same approach to life. He was well aware that perfection is unattainable, so he focused on constant improvement. His quote in the image above has inspired me for many years.

    Yes, perfection is unattainable. This, however, should not deter us from striving for excellence. One day at a time, we have the opportunity to be better than we used to be. What more could anyone ask of us? After all, we are all a work in progress.

  • Typing

    “To shoot a gun proficiently 
    is much less of a skill 
    than typing.” 
    ~ Bernhard Goetz

    It was one of the most boring classes I took in high school. Typing class — second period in the first semester of my freshman year. Our teacher was the varsity football coach, Mr. McDonald. Even at that young age, I understood that he was not an expert in typing. He ran his classes the way he ran his football practices after school — strict discipline and repetition. He had a playbook he used to drill us on the basic skills needed to master the keyboard. Day after day, it was the same routine:

    ASDF — “Do not look at the keys, gentlemen!” — JKL;

    ASDF   — “Gentlemen, eyes straight ahead!” — JKL;

    ASDF — “Stop looking down at the keyboard, gentlemen!” — JKL;

    Repetition… repetition… repetition…

    In time, we moved on to lower-case letters. asdf jkl; asdf jkl; asdf jkl; Only occasionally would he call out an individual student for peeking at the keyboard. This methodology was used throughout the entire semester. I wouldn’t say the class got more interesting, but it did get a bit easier. And, without even realizing it, I was being prepared for a future I had never imagined — a career in teaching, a culture of technological innovation, and a passion for writing. All of these things required a solid competency in typing. I gained that competency in my freshman year typing class with Mr. McDonald.

    In my upper years of high school, I was able to focus on what I was writing, rather than worrying about how to type what I was writing. As a student at Santa Clara University, I was able to type all my own papers. In fact, on a few occasions, I made a few extra bucks by typing papers for keyboard-challenged classmates. As I reflect back on the past fifty years or so, I can honestly say that the typing class in my freshman year of high school prepared me for college and for life more so than any other high school course I took. 

    Over the past twenty-five years, I have found it to be interesting, and perhaps neglectful, that my sons were required to type certain projects and assignments in their elementary and middle school classes without ever having been taught how to type. In fact, elementary education beyond third grade, at least where my boys attended school, did not even require proper penmanship for handwritten work. On several occasions, my boys hand-wrote assignments for school which I deemed to be unacceptable. I’d tell the boys that their teacher would not accept such illegible handwriting, only to have them reply that the teacher would not have a problem with it. As it turned out, they were right. Teachers accepted their handwritten work as it was. 

    Yes, the world is different now. Are schools still teaching good penmanship and demanding that student work reflect what the student learned in penmanship class? Are schools finally teaching typing to students prior to assigning that the work they do be typed? I honestly don’t know. I can only hope that students today are better prepared to submit neat, legible work to their teachers than students in the past quarter century.

    (And yes, there’s a typo in my letter to Mr. McDonald in the image above! Not intentional.)

  • Meeting People

    “One of the joys of travel.
    is visiting new towns.
    and meeting new people.”
    ~ Genghis Khan

    From my earliest days, I’ve always enjoyed meeting people, talking with them, and, when the opportunity presents itself, becoming friends with them. I guess that’s why, when I was around ten years old, one of my neighbors in San Francisco began calling me The Ambassador of 38th Avenue. Yes, that’s the title of one of my books!

    I get energized by meeting new people. For this reason, I’ve always enjoyed starting a new job, moving into a new neighborhood, taking a class, teaching a class, and attending social events where I know few, if any, people. It’s amazing how little time it takes to make a connection with someone I meet for the first time. Having grown up in San Francisco, it’s difficult for me to meet another native San Franciscan and not have mutual friends or similar experiences to share. 

    When I was in Nassau in March, I saw a man and his wife trying to take selfies near the Nassau harbor. As I often do when I’m in The City, I asked the man if he would like me to take a photo of them with their camera. He gratefully accepted my offer. This led to a conversation in which we realized that we were both retired high school teachers. He was originally from Ecuador. His wife was originally from Honduras. They had been living in Canada for more than thirty years and were visiting Nassau on one of the cruise ships. We had an enriching conversation touching on many topics before they headed back to their ship, which was departing that afternoon. 

    Through the wonders of Facebook, I recently met a gentleman with whom I have much in common. We have only one mutual Facebook friend, and when he saw a comment I’d made on her page, he took a look at my page and realized that our interests and experiences are quite similar, so he sent a friend request. Kathy and I enjoyed dinner in Japantown in San José with him and his wife last night. This reminded me of how much I truly enjoy meeting new people.

    Kathy and I met my siblings in San Francisco this evening for dinner at Beach Chalet Restaurant, across the street from Ocean Beach. Kathy and I got there a bit early, as did my brother, Tom. We found a vacant table in the bar area, so I walked up to the bar to order a glass of wine for Kathy and a drink for Tom. While waiting for the drinks, I got into a conversation with two young women visiting San Francisco from Verona, Italy. They were delightful, and I thoroughly enjoyed our brief conversation. They visited Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and one of the national parks prior to arriving in San Francisco. They’re planning to visit Chicago. Miami, and New York City before returning home to Verona. Talking with them was like talking with people I’ve known for many years. It was such an easy conversation, and so enjoyable. How sad that there’s a good chance that I’ll never see them again.

    Meeting people can be like that. A conversation begins, information is shared, a connection is made, and all too often, they never see each other again after that. I think it’s important to acknowledge that such conversations are not a waste of time. My life was enriched tonight by meeting the two travelers from Italy. I can only hope that their lives were enriched, as well.    

  • A Chance Encounter

    “Mix a little foolishness 
    with your serious plans. 
    It is lovely to be silly 
    at the right moment.”
    ~ Horace

    The afternoon began with a casual meeting with friends. Kathy and I got together with Tim and his wife Mary Ann at the Starbucks at Lincoln Avenue and Minnesota in the Willow Glen area of San José. We had a delightful two-hour visit. As we were getting ready to say goodbye, Mary Ann asked if we’d like to join them for dinner in Japantown in San José. It didn’t take much to convince us to join them. Kathy and I thoroughly enjoy Japanese food. We rode downtown with Tim and Mary Ann. 

    Tim parked the car on Sixth Street, just south of Jackson. As we walked toward the restaurant, we approached a group of about ten young Ethiopian kids sitting at a picnic table on the sidewalk at the corner of Sixth and Jackson. I would guess that the kids were middle school or early high school students. They seemed like nice kids, so I engaged them in a brief conversation. They were from Modesto and were in San José for a graduation party. I commented on the sweatshirt one of the boys was wearing. It had a Japanese image, the word Tokyo above it, and the word Jujutsu below it. At first, he didn’t know quite what to think of my comment, but I assured him that I was impressed with the image. One of the other boys, teasing his friend, told me that he could tell me all kinds of stories about the boy wearing the sweatshirt. All the other kids were laughing, including the boy wearing the sweatshirt. It was all in good fun.  

    After a nice dinner at Kaita Restaurant on Jackson Street, we headed back toward the car. Much to my surprise, the kids were still sitting and standing around the picnic table. The boy with the Tokyo sweatshirt wasn’t with them at that time. I spoke with the other kids for a minute or two, then the boy with the sweatshirt walked around the corner and saw me talking with his friends. At that point, I looked at him with a shocked expression and said, “You did THAT? Seriously? He (pointing my finger toward his friend) told me what you did. I can’t believe you would do such a thing!” Of course, his friend had not told me anything!

    Again, everyone was laughing and enjoying the moment. One of the girls, who had just arrived with the boy in the Tokyo sweatshirt, came to his defense. “They lie!” she said while laughing. So I turned toward her.

    “Oh, yeah,” I said. “He told me about YOU, too!” The whole group was laughing and having a good time. They all clearly understood that it was all in good fun. I said goodbye to the kids and we headed back to the car.

    What an absolute delight to meet such a wholesome group of young people. It was clear that they were all friends. It was clear that they shared the gift of humor. It was clear that they respected and trusted each other. I’m grateful tonight for this brief encounter with such a healthy group of kids.