One Month Later...

It's the little things that get to you. You move on, life gets busy, and you don't dwell on the feelings of loss. Then something in the background opens the dam, and memories flood your mind. Seemingly insignificant things: The notes of a song, a snippet of conversation, a solitary image, a familiar phrase. You watch the memories play, and you can't decide whether you want them to stop or continue. The word "bittersweet" pretty much captures it: the juxtaposition of a nostalgic ache with a glorious rush.

But, strange as it sounds, the pain is a good sign. Whether the separation comes from distance or death, it's good to remember our loved ones. The pain reminds us all the more of the good times we shared, the connections we felt. The pain, in its own absurd way, can be comforting. Especially for the Christians, who know that their separation is but a temporary condition, and that the final reunion will make the happiest prior times seem downright gloomy.

My friends, if any of you are reading this (and I hope at least a few of you are): I miss you, but I rejoice to know that we will meet again someday. In the meantime, I pray that you are well and happy. For what it's worth, I'm thinking of you.

[end sappy introspection]

Work has gotten a bit more intense this week. I'm doing more and heavier editing on The Book and I've mostly taken over the TNRTB oversight. Oddly, Mondays are among my favorite days. As I've mentioned before, Monday is the day when we have Scholars' Lunches; the fact that I get paid to spend my lunch hour(s) listening to and discussing fascinating stuff is just too great. But in addition, Monday is meeting day: the first Monday of each month is a prayer meeting, wherein the staff gather to share requests and praises (how awesome is that for a workplace activity?). The second Monday features "Scholar Talks," wherein one of the scholars gives an hour-or-so presentation about some subject (the last one was about the likelihood of other intelligent life existing in the universe; next week's is about The Da Vinci Code). The third Monday has a regular meeting, in which we discuss recent and upcoming events, promotions, projects, etc. And the fourth Monday has the meetings of the Editorial department (which are also pretty good meetings).

In short: nifty meetings + paid discussions + leaving early (since I don't technically take a lunch break) = Mondays are pretty cool.