This Thursday morning I went to my last Psychology of Personal Adjustment class and took the final.  I was disappointed that I wasn't better prepared as I didn't study at all before the test.  Fortunately I'm sure that I did okay but I felt the class and my professor deserved much more of an effort from me.
     I wondered if I will look back on this class as a pivotal event in my life.  I thought of the comparison of this class and Human Growth and Development.  In the HG&D class it seems that we mostly focused on the facts of the ages and stages of life, but in PPA class we looked at the application of theories and experience in how to live and change and thrive.
     I learned or was inspired into discovery in several concepts that have already changed my understanding of the inner life.  Just reading the book "Tuesdays with Morrie" alone was invaluable.  From that book I was moved to the idea of "Life's greatest lesson: A person must learn to die, in order to learn how to live." But there have been many others also like existential psychology, the Flow of experience, self-esteem injunctions, resilience, etc.
     This afternoon I was stringing lights on the roof and entered a very focused state of mind.  I was systematically mounting lights on the peak of the roof and backing along a little at a time when suddenly I noticed tree limbs to my side.  I was suddenly startled by the realization that I a had backed to within a few feet of the edge.  It would have been horrible for my children to have seen such a tragic incident.  I believe that my Guardian Angel protected me from this for my children.
   I was very happy that my wife and son went to reconciliation mass tonight.  I was very proud of them both for the attitude of valuation of their spiritual life.
    Thanks be to God!