With Mayo Clinic oncologist Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

Let me share with you an intriguing observation. While visiting Central America as part of a medical program, we stopped by a prominent hotel. In the courtyard was a gathering of professionals in their late 20s and early 30s who had all the appliances of success.

Designer leather jackets, designer eyeshades, and the other mark of success, the laptop warmly embraced in a leather case. They were not happy campers. I did not see one smile. There was a palpable tenseness in their posture as they awaited the opening of a technical business meeting.

Across the courtyard were the custodial staff and the groundskeepers. They also were of the same age, but there was an infectious joy in each of them. The smiles, the laughters, the sense of camaraderie were in stark contrast to that of the professionals.

So, what am I trying to say? What I saw was simple. Joy comes from relationships, peace comes from relationships, and the toys and the trinkets and the gadgets, while important for daily lives, do not bring us peace and joy.

So, as we reflect on the winding down of the autumn season, and as we prepare for winter here in the Midwest, what else can we seek out to bring that joy and that peace that so energizes the human spirit?

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