Today I had lunch with two African American women friends, one about 14 years older than I and the other about 16 or 17 years younger than I. Since neither one is old or young enough to be my ‘mother’ or ‘daughter’ I consider them both to be my ‘sisters.’ Actually I have a family blood brother who is 18 years younger than I.

As we were eating lunch and talking I was struck how much we think alike on issue like military spending, civil rights and such. I do not find that much agreement with white guys nearer my age. There is some instinctual bond that allows us to understand each other and our experiences, although we come from very diverse backgrounds. Amidst other things we discussed a couple subject close to my heart, the spending of the local St. Vincent de Paul Society on things that are not at the heart of the mission of serving the poor and the militarization of Marquette University. On almost all subjects they brought up I found myself in near total agreement.

So race, gender and age did not matter very much in our way of looking at life and our experiences. My older and younger ‘sisters’ share so many of the same values and attitudes that I do. One of my sisters is Catholic like I and one Episcopal but religion did not figure much into our agreements and views of life. However, I think that what I would call ‘spirituality’ did figure in.

All three of us firmly believe that we are all brothers and sisters in God and in compassion and care for poor and marginalized. We are self confident although we are aware of our weaknesses.

Looking at my friends today compared to friends of the past I found there is a lot more diversity, rich and poor, white and black, male and female, old and young. Yet there is a bounding that keeps us close.

Some years ago I wrote a posting on this site called Salad Bowl Friends. I am not sure how I would describe my circle of friends today. I need to find a new metaphor, but there is something happening in my life and others that makes us more like ‘sisters and brothers’ than friends. We are family.

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