The Narrow Path

Encampment by the neighborhood library.

At yesterday's memorial service the Gospel reading was the familiar parable of the Good Samaritan, whom Jesus held up as virtuous despite the Samaritan's low social status.

Mom chose the passage because of my father's lifetime of service to the church and the Shriners. Dad's generosity did not blind him to the real world. He erected thick iron gates and installed 3rd-party security systems to protect his property and tenants from the homeless who roam the neighborhood.

Wariness and caution have always been our default states, and I'm finding with age that I have to work harder at being open and trusting. My father, even at the age of 94, could walk the narrow path.