One thing certain in life is that it is always changing. Life is our story. .. telling itself, unfolding at each dawning of a new day…
Over the past ten years I’ve delighted in filling the pages of The Sun with people’s life stories. This year I hope that you will reminisce along with me as I re-run many of them to celebrate the 10th season of this publication that so many have grown to love, because of its stories.
I’ve been doing much reminiscing of my own lately. My life story forever changed on January 22 of this year, when I said goodbye to my father, Joseph McMonagle. My father’s story is the letter he wrote for all to read. He was compassionate, generous, patient, humble and loving. It tells the story of goodness and grace to everyone who knew him. It is a wonderful story.
He was a newspaper guy who retired as a union worker from the Philadelphia Inquirer. He loved reading the papers, (especially mine.) Over the years The Sun pleasantly reunited him with old friends and family, as it has done so serendipitously for many others as well. He loved people. He will be missed as we remember this man who was Dad, Pop, Joe, and Joe Mick, sitting on his favorite chair or on his porch rocker on 7th St. with his paper in one hand, and his magnifying glass in his other, (and a dog or two by his side) giving a nod to all of those heading down to the beach and making sure they took a copy of The Sun from the pile he would put on the wall by the sidewalk.
My life story seems to always be teaching and reminding me the practice of letting go. Looking back I see that any struggle in my life had come from unwillingness to let go of trying to control things. But I have learned that life is full of many paradoxes and by letting go, we really hold fast to that which we love so dearly.
I know no more now than I ever did about the other side of death at the last letting go of my father. But I know that I do not need to know everything. God knows. He assures me this; the wonderful life that my father had here was just a glimpse of what he is experiencing now in eternity.
My life story is full of so many blessings and my father will always be one of the biggest ones. HIs passing has given me wind under my wings to forge into another year of publishing… he was a hard working man who found so much pleasure in knowing all of his kids were working. I love the work God has given me to do. I am blessed and thankful to know that my story has made a difference in this world, and it made my father proud. Not only did he love to read The Sun, but he was one of my biggest fans.
Here’s to you Dad! Hot off the press!
And here’s to 10 seasons of Wildwood Sunshine!
