One of the many times when I have been mesmerized by simply looking at the faces of people passing by occurred almost 20 years ago. I was being treated for bladder cancer at the Sloan Kettering Hospital, observing passers by from a window in the restaurant where my wife, Francie, and I were having dinner. I looked at them, one by one, as they walked by, grateful for and taking pleasure from the health and joy I saw in their faces.
Eight years ago, I recall standing in a circle holding hands with about 30 fellow parishioners before taking Communion at my church. As I wrote then, “I looked at the faces of the children, women and men around me. I only knew a few of them personally but I knew that virtually every one of them faced challenges beyond those I will never know. Looking at them, individually, made me appreciate once more the miracle of the human face. The individuality of each one of us in what a face conveys and what remains hidden".
This short experience, no more than 2-3 minutes, reminded me that we are all in this together on the journey of life, each in our own individual ways yet, as we held hands together, we were affirming even if silently that we do it together and, in doing that, hold the opportunity, and indeed the responsibility, to help one another on that journey of life whenever and wherever we can.
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