As I was checking out from Festival Foods today another couple approached me and started a fun conversation with me as I scanned my groceries. Within moments we were laughing and smiling as if we were all long lost friends. By the time I left all three of us were grinning and chuckling.

So much joy from a simple conversation with strangers.

It is so easy to stay closed up, stare at my phone, and ignore other people around me. There is an appeal to being disconnected from others, but how often have I missed the opportunity to experience the joy of connecting with others?

As I spend more time in thought and listen deeper to the world around me this moment really stuck out. Such an ordinary encounter, yet the meaning rang clearer than a well struck bell in the cold winter air. There was something so extraordinary in that ordinary moment. The presence of something greater.

The connection of strangers in smile and conversation… there’s the voice of Father Mark resonating in my head. Something about “God’s favorite dwelling place inside the souls of others.”

Of all of the moments I’ve experienced today that one fleeting conversation with a couple of strangers has touched me more deeply than it had any right to. Pure joy. Connection. The feeling of love for others. Beauty.

So simple, so complex, and I am so grateful.

Thanks!!!