Piece O'Cake, by Lewis Thompson

Pope Francis recently announced that his tenure in office might just be more brief than the world had expected.  Not because of a health issue--at least, not his physical health.  No, it seems that Pope Francis is growing tired of the pomp, ceremony, and public attention that goes with his office.  More than power, more than influence, the man longs for the simple, everyday ability to slip out for a pizza without drawing a crowd.

I suspect that Pope Francis, much as I do, realizes that what nurtures his soul is not so much rules and rituals designed to bring us closer to the Divine, however we define that concept.  In the end, as our days get short, we realize that it is the simple things in life that reach our heart the most; the walk in a park, an intimate conversation with a friend, listening to a favorite bit of music, an inspirational speech, an act of kindness, an expression of love, a perfect pizza with a beloved friend--that elicits a tear, sparks a squeal of delight, or makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.

For me, these are the kinds of things that make me glad to be alive.  They put the icing on the cake.  I think I'll have another piece.

© 16 Mar 2015 

About the Author 

I came to the beautiful state of Colorado out of my native Kansas by way of Michigan, the state where I married and had two children while working as an engineer for the Ford Motor Company. I was married to a wonderful woman for 26 happy years and suddenly realized that life was passing me by. I figured that I should make a change, as our offspring were basically on their own and I wasn't getting any younger. Luckily, a very attractive and personable man just happened to be crossing my path at that time, so the change-over was both fortuitous and smooth.

Soon after, I retired and we moved to Denver, my husband's home town. He passed away after 13 blissful years together in October of 2012. I am left to find a new path to fulfillment. One possibility is through writing. Thank goodness, the SAGE Creative Writing Group was there to light the way.