Confluence of emotions

April Fool's Day is supposed to be for jokes. This particular 2005 edition doesn't seem like a joking kind of day. This morning, as I digest the world and national news, read my email, and think about why this day is so special in the Love family, I must say that I'm truly experiencing a confluence of emotions.

Just days before our daughter Annie was born on Oct. 19, 1978, John Paul II was named Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He followed John Paul I who served a very brief time before dying suddenly in his sleep. I still recall watching all the news from the Vatican as the world awaited the white smoke indicating a Papal selection for a second time in such a short period.

I also remember distinctly the announcement that this Pope was not from Italy. The Church had broken a long tradition and named a Pole. This excited me, just as the next few years of watching him embrace the world outside of Rome inspired me.

In 1990, I wrote a feature story for the Spokesman-Review about my former student, family friend and journalist, Cindy Wooden, who had earned the distinction of accompanying the Pope on the Papal jet for his world tours. I was one proud journalist, teacher and Catholic. I'm sure this morning that Cindy is very busy watching every detail for her reports to Catholic News Service at its Vatican Bureau.

I'll say with certainty today that Pope John Paul II is and will be remembered as one of the most inspiring and most loved citizens of our time and our world. Though he has stuck rigidly to Church tradition, he has broken the mold as Popes go and served as the ultimate example of faith. He has visibly spread that example throughout the world.

This morning I also read an email from Janice Jarzabek, who wrote a few thoughts about Chris Reynolds. He's the student of mine who died suddenly about a month ago. I'm planning to write a column about Chris and another local teen named Holly Peterson who died too young.

So, Janice told me about her disbelief at learning of Chris' death and her subsequent mission of telling her sons who were like Chris' brothers. They had formed a rock band and performed around the Inland Northwest for the past few years. A friend of the Jarsabek's is crafting a monument to Chris for the Jarzabek family's rock garden. A concert in his memory is scheduled for May.

Then, there are the events connected with the Shiavo case. They're still raw in my mind. I've found myself veering several directions this past couple of weeks as I've watched her ordeal play out so publicly. I've experienced mixed emotions about decisions made about prolonging life.

This sad event certainly could not stand as the poster case for how we ought to react when faced with such situations, but as I've heard so frequently lately, the constant media reminders certainly have energized the national discussion about ways to approach death.

And, then, on this April Fool's day, I celebrate one of the joys of my life, my son Willie. He was born 28 years ago today. With so much talk and thought about death, I guess we should temper our emotions with the uplifting news of those around us who are still looking forward to what they can accomplish with their lives.

Willie is definitely on that track as his journalism career continues to blossom and as he looks forward to his wife Debbie's graduation in May. As yet, they don't know where their lives will take them, but I'm sure these two young people will leave their positive impact on many lives just as John Paul, Terri and Chris have done in their unique ways.

I guess this confluence of emotions reminds us that with virtually every day we encounter a potpourri of events where we laugh, cry, admire, reminisce, extol, and, yes, even joke.

That's life. And our individual approaches to all that life offers us will be remembered.