Birthday Gratitude on the World Harmony Run

Many blessings have come my way on my 53rd birthday here in Chicago. It all started two days ago actually, with a wonderful 53 mile run I was fortunate and healthy enough to complete on our way into Madison, Wisconsin. Because of the hard work and selfless offerings of our friends from Chicago, we were able drive to Chicago right after my long run and enjoy two days off.

Today was more of a relaxing day for us all. It was nice to stay in the same city for a few days and not have to run or drive too much. I did have to bring one of our vehicles to a shop for brake replacements and oil change. I also drove to a dentist who was so generous with Maria and me as he worked on our dental problems and charged us very little.

Paul Incze, DDS., a Hungarian born dentist and dental technician here in Chicago, was very good in finding and solving our tooth pain problems which can really drain one’s energy and state of mind. Dr. Incze was very friendly, showing me his shop where he has 24 specialized machines to rebuild teeth and dentures. He is like an artisan, a sculptor who creates intricate and exact replications of teeth to make our problems seem to disappear. So far, he has proven his wonderful ability to work ‘magic’ with his dental skills.

Victory’s Banner Restaurant was again very generous in offering us meals today even though it is one of their busiest days of the week. The weather was a bit of a challenge for them though, as occasional rain played havoc with their outdoor seating. It was a true day off as I hardly saw any of our other team members until later in the afternoon. Everyone seemed to have a different idea of how to spend a full day off which also gave us a break from each other. But we are a very compatible team nonetheless, and in the evening we had a wonderful program to share our thoughts and meditations on harmony. We also watched some of the videos created by Salil and some of the news coverage of our activities in recent days.

This evening I was also taken aback with a beautiful birthday cake and wonderful gifts. It seems like my birthday has been going on for a long time, but this was the ultimate in heartfelt and deep self-offering by all my teammates and other friends from Chicago. Holding back tears, I am deeply moved and extremely grateful for all the wonderful inner and outer gifts I have received from friends here and also others who have called me from New York and from other cities as well. It is truly a wonderful global team and family that we all are as part of Sri Chinmoy’s dream of harmony and friendship around the world.

Arpan De Angelo (One year older)

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