07/26/2026
Sunday Reflections
There are seasons in life when we don't realize we're making memories until we take a moment to look around and appreciate them.
This season has been one of change for my parents. Mom and Dad, Maxine and Joseph, are both 91 years young and this past June celebrated an incredible milestone—70 years of marriage. They hold the distinction of being the longest married couple in the history of St. Leo's Catholic Church, but for me, their greatest accomplishment has never been the years—it's the life they've built together.
I have been blessed to spend my entire life learning from them. I began working alongside my father when I was just six years old helping my brothers with their paper routes. He taught me the value of hard work, dedication, and treating people with kindness and respect. My mother showed me what unconditional love looks like and has always been the very definition of motherhood, grace, and selflessness. My mother has always been so much more than just my mom—she has been one of my very best friends, my favorite shopping partner, and someone who has shown me the true meaning of forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love. She has taught me that strength can be gentle and that sometimes the greatest gift we can give one another is compassion.
Over the past few months, many things have changed. There have been challenges that come with growing older and difficult decisions that no family is ever quite prepared to make. What hasn't changed is the love they've shared for one another and the example they've been for all of us.
As I've gotten older, I've realized that time is life's greatest gift. The things we once took for granted become the things we treasure most—a conversation over lunch, a shared story, a familiar laugh, or simply sitting together without saying much at all.
Today, my Sunday reflection is one of gratitude. Gratitude for 70 years of love, for the lessons they've taught me, and for the memories we've made. Most of all, gratitude that we still have time to make more.
Here's to more stories, more laughter, and more precious moments together.
I love you, Mom and Dad.
"The greatest legacy we leave is not what we build,
but the lives we touch along the way." ❤️
