Meeting My New Family

My first days in the midst of the children of St. Peter's

My first days were filled with cries for "mommy," "daddy," and "sissy"; vomiting in the cafeteria; drama with the dentist; inquiries about my Asian heritage; and, most of all, love. Love flowed from the parents who lined up to take pictures of their little ones with their teachers, from the kindergarteners giving "last" hugs, from the embarrassed smiles the sixth graders gave to waving parents, from the proud smiles the eighth graders flashed knowing they were now the role models, from the teachers saying good morning to each student by name, and from staff members asking me how my transition was going. I had always heard St. Peter's members talk of the closeness of the school and parish, but I also heard that from every parish. It took only half a Friday to truly see the closeness that only God could create.

Now, whenever I am asked how my new position is going, I have one response: It is going better than I could have ever imagined, which is how I know that God has called me to be a part of the St. Peter family.