Persons, places and things: A lighthouse experience

By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor

My brother Tim planned the family get-together of our parents and siblings — six people — in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, retracing the vacations of our youth. My siblings and I live in different states, so coordinating schedules requires commitment and compromise. What an excellent opportunity to honor our father and mother! Pope Francis says, “The experience of love in families is a perennial source of strength for the life of the Church” (“Amoris Laetitia,” “The Joy of Love”).

Our journey of love and laughter began Aug. 3, with three carloads leaving from the Twin Cities (my husband, Steve, accompanied us). I should have known we would stop for “refueling” at a White Castle hamburger restaurant, a fast food chain that reactivates memories from our growing up years.

We arrived at our Airbnb, and spent the next half-hour or so choosing bedrooms. It reminded me of the times when we were kids, “debating” who should sit in the middle seat in our car on family road trips. This time, however, we weren’t squabbling. Each of us desired one thing: that Mom and Dad would be comfortable and have the time of their lives.

Our family reunion took place 30 years after St. John Paul II published his “Letter to Families” for the Year of the Family. He said … “‘Honor your father and mother,’ because for you, they are in a certain sense representatives of the Lord; they are the ones who gave you life, who introduced you to human existence in a particular family line, nation and culture. After God, they are your first benefactors. While God alone is good, indeed the Good itself, parents participate in this supreme goodness in a unique way…”

Ray and Mary Arland, our parents, enjoy good health in their twilight years. However, we reminded ourselves to slow down or skip an attraction that might be too strenuous. That didn’t stop our brother Pat from coaxing Mom and Dad to consider walking down a long set of stairs to the dock, with our assistance, to enjoy riding a two-person paddleboat. Pat knew our parents would enjoy the experience and they were leaning toward an affirmative decision at press time.

A visit to the Split Rock Lighthouse north of Two Harbors, Minnesota, highlighted our second full day together. After viewing an impressive, short video about the lighthouse’s history in the Visitor Center, we walked a short distance to climb the stairs to the rock on which the lighthouse has stood for more than 100 years. Mom and Dad didn’t hesitate to climb the stairs to this historic, awesome lighthouse they enjoyed seeing years ago.

The beacon on the lighthouse shone from sunset to sunrise every night during the Lake Superior shipping season for nearly 60 years, according to a brochure. Built in the aftermath of a tragic disaster, the lighthouse guided ships safely to their ports for nearly 60 years until it closed. I couldn’t help thinking how Mom and Dad served as our beacon to guide us safely to adulthood.

This family reunion reinforced the bond not only with our parents, but also with us as siblings. One of my favorite experiences with “the boys,” was a canoe trip during which we stopped at a tiny island in the middle of Lake Dowling and “claimed it” as “Ar-island.”

Pope Francis said in “Amoris Laetitia” that “Relationships between brothers and sisters deepen with the passing of time … In the family; we learn how to live as one.”

(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)