The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
Missing You
It’s a good turnout for a morning Mass service at the Irish church on the top of the hill. Though, as usual, I am the only person under 40…perhaps the only under 50. I’m accustomed to these demographics, though. Everyone is spread out through the center of the church. Like a teacher walking past the empty desks in the front rows, our priest has to walk half-way down the aisle to give the homily. I’m delighted to smile at my fellow churchgoers when we wish each other “Peace.” Few people are close enough to shake hands, so we wave across the rows. We turn forward and back, making eye contact and holding up two fingers in the V of peace, like tourists in front of a landmark.
An older man with his flannel shirt tucked into his jeans greets his neighbors and gives the peace sign off to an unaccompanied spot on his right. He nods where no one sits. He pats the empty railing next to his hand–missing someone, feeling a presence, paying a tribute to one who used to sit so close. I notice how he prays with his shoulder turned slightly toward the vacant place at his side, and I really do wish him peace.
–Vermont
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
Sometimes, we can only discern the presence of one thing through the absence of another. The desire for peace becomes so much more omnipresent when we witness that silent pain of separation. A beautiful image and poignant reminder to turn our shoulders inward towards that physical presence while it still exists in this world. Thank you Paige, I always appreciate your insightful thoughts.
Thank you again for all the kindness and comments, Dave! It’s so lovely to read your reflections on the work–and encouraging too. I truly appreciate it.
Paige
I like the picture you paint with your words
Thank you so much, Joanne! It’s really been lovely to get to know you through blogging. 🙂
Paige
Wonderful words and another earworm for us – Missing you from John Waite…:)
liebe Grüße
Maccabros
Haha, Maccabros, I was thinking of that song when I added the title on this story. Sehr klug! 😀
Paige
How much we see when we look–thank you for caring enough to look and for sharing what you see.
🙂 Thank you so much, Ellen! Later in the week, I visited with this man. I didn’t ask him about the story, but just learned more about his life. Pretty remarkable!
Paige