When I look back at my life, there are certainly endless experiences, both good and bad, that shaped me into the person that I am. Growing up in a big family, I witnessed love and lack of love, almost daily. My parents weren’t publicly affectionate and sibling rivalry was the norm. We were raised with an iron fist. For me, love was camouflaged, but it was indeed there.

Love was present as my Dad went off to work every day to support our family at a job that he didn’t like. Love was created in the meals that my Mom scraped together to feed our family of seven, when money was tight. Love was that special gift under the Christmas tree, the homemade birthday cakes, ice cream when we were good, the extra tug on my coat zipper in the winter to keep me warm, the clean clothes to wear, being marched into mass and the annual summer vacation week.

My Mom was always real active with our church. So, when I tagged along to church activities, I started out as just an observer. I learned to “love my neighbors as myself” by witnessing others doing good deeds for each other. I found that love is at its best when I sacrifice my own desires so that I can be a loving person anywhere out in my community or right at home.

I’ve been married to Bill for 37 years now. As a small example of an expression of love, he makes me coffee every morning; I make him dinner every night. Sometimes it’s the simplest gestures that define love. When our 3 kids came along, we did and still do everything to show how much we love them. Lately, I’ve noticed each of them being concerned that we’re working too hard or not getting enough rest. Funny how the hands change with time. Yet, that too, is an expression of love.

My daughter is getting married soon. I’ve dreamed of her wedding day from the moment she was born. But most of all, I want her to be happy and loved. She’s a really incredible faith-filled girl who always pours out her love for others. As a teacher for teens with multiple disabilities, she truly lives her life “loving her neighbor as herself.” She is so excited to get married and start a family. She grew up in a loving family and now desires to be united in love and create her own loving family. Let us bring joy and love into the world!