Yesterday was an amazing day that started off with my first grandchild Harrison’s baptism at Saint Francis Xavier Church in Wilmette. I have a tendency to get a little emotional at events like these, and this was no exception. Father Wayne Watts made it a very special occasion for the entire family (as he always does). He stressed the importance of living our values as a daily example for Harrison. For his part, Harrison did a wonderful job even when the holy water was poured over his head. 🤣
On a side note, I think I have mentioned that my five children have accused me of taking more pictures of Harrison than all five of them combined over their lifetimes — and I think they may be right!😉
The baptism definitely gave me the opportunity for some wonderful self-reflection on the real meaning of life and of making the most of every day we have on this earth. And that was just one part of my self-reflection!
Earlier last week Julie and I had the opportunity to participate in a Ramadan Iftar at the home of my friends, Khalid and Leena Ali. We had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed reflecting on our shared values and spiritual grounding.
And last night — wow! I was invited to participate in Kellogg’s Annual Ramadan Iftar with more than 60 students, faculty, and staff.
The event provided me the opportunity to gain an appreciation for the history of Ramadan, and several students participated in a fantastic panel detailing their personal history with Ramadan. I really appreciate the Muslims at Kellogg Club for all the work they did to make this a fantastic event.
As I mentioned to several of the students, I sincerely believe that the world would be much better off if we ALL took the time and made the effort to understand one another’s religions and spiritual practices. We all have much more in common than differences. However, by not taking the time to understand one another, we end up with many of the problems we have in the world today. It really does take ALL of us to change the world.
