Fare Thee Well

As I leave the retirement celebration of a colleague I only worked with for a year, I am reminded of the saying that your life might be the only Bible some people read.

This guy, I'll call him, M.D. - I just could tell he believed in God by the way he carried himself. A newsroom is hard to describe, but perhaps it's telling that he stood out to me because he always spoke, always addressed me by name and always smiled when we passed each other. If I ever stopped by his office with a question, he'd stop what he was doing to try to help me find a solution. (Trust me, that is rare.) His consistent warmth meant a lot to me as I learned to navigate this place.

After my "internship period," he sat down with me and we put together something like a guide for new hires. His concern that newbies be treated a certain way - and his genuine disappointment in the minor gaps in my process - spoke volumes.

It's no surprise to me, then, that he's going on to work for the Catholic diocese. He offered us these words to remember him by:

"If you hear an inner voice, listen to it; it just might change your life.
Continue to be people of truth.
And be people of hope; the world needs that so much right now."

I hope I will never neglect to do just that. I'm encouraged to practice walking a similar walk, one that speaks for me and exudes the grace and light of the Son.