My father visited STL last weekend, and we had a very enjoyable time. We heard a good symphony concert featuring pieces that even even my relatively lowbrow self can appreciate -- not an atonal composition on the program, thank you. (It's so nice that there are events for which men still dress up in a jacket and tie.) I'm grateful to still have my Dad with me, something for which I'm increasingly thankful since losing both my Mom and my husband within six months of each other. We never had that much of a one-on-one relationship while I was growing up, but we thoroughly enjoy each other's company now.
We visited St. Raymond's church which serves as the Maronite cathedral for the western half of the United States. The Maronite Rite is the Lebanese rite of the Roman Catholic Church in which my father was brought up. I'd visited several times while I've been in St. Louis, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Dad got along famously with Fr. Andre who greeted us before Mass and was pretty impressed by the story of the monk whose recent canonization was highlighted during the sermon. Whenever you get more than one Lebanese together, you talk about the old country (it doesn't seem to matter whether you've ever visited) and the food. Mmmmmm, makes me want to go find some tabouli right this minute.
