Читать книгу The Dwelling Place of Wonder - Harry L. Serio - Страница 4

I am not certain whether in some pre-existent state I made the decision to enter this life and confront all the variables that determine one’s course through all the years of living. Did I pre-select my parents or where I would be born or the world in which I would live? Were the events that filled my earlier years somehow chosen in order to lead me in a particular direction and to shape who I would become?

Life is not accidental, but it is nevertheless filled with events that astonish and amaze as well as the ordinary routines that everyone moves through. Heredity, environment, relationships, and so many other factors add to the beauty and wonder of life. Ralph Waldo Emerson was right when he observed, “Evermore in the world is this marvelous balance of beauty and disgust, magnificence and rats.”

What I have written in this book are some of the events that have given meaning and texture to my life. Every time I revisit my past I find new meaning in what has occurred. We are always in the process of becoming, and continual reflection contributes to that process. The past is indeed a dwelling place of wonder.

I am grateful to many people whose lives have intersected with my own in meaningful ways—family, friends, associates, parishioners, and those with whom brief encounters have also influenced and changed the direction of my life. I owe much to them—in particular to my wife, Mary Ann, and children (Stuart, Tasha, and Matthew). I also appreciate the contributions of friends and colleagues who read this manuscript, made helpful suggestions, and offered encouragement, especially Maren Tirabassi, John Morgan, Byron Borger, and Mary Ann Serio.

The journey continues and every event is meaningful and filled with purpose and wonder.