The joy of human love!

For the joy of human love,

Brother, sister, parent, child;

Friends on Earth and friends above,

For all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to Thee we raise

This, our hymn of grateful praise.

"For The Beauty of The Earth"

by Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1864

Ave Maria!  I've been singing to myself the above hymn ever since Tuesday when I boarded a plane in Portland, ME to return home to Houston after two glorious weeks there.  I stayed in Lincolnville with my sweet sister Annie and her husband John, and the second week there we were joined by our cousins Christine and Stephen and his wife Patricia.  The four of us cousins are very close as we spent many years living together when we grew up.  What a wonderful reunion we had!  Every single moment was so special, so lovely, and so precious, whether we were sunning at the ocean's edge or drinking morning coffee or cleaning up after supper.  What we did wasn't important.  It was more than enough that we were together, enjoying each other's company and discovering anew that which unites us forever through time and space -- the Everlasting Love that has never let us go.  Truly, my cup runneth over.  Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gift!

And I smiled to think God's greatness

Flowed around our incompleteness --

'Round our restlessness His rest.

~Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1809-1861)

P.S.  I hope to post some pictures of us soon!