January 17, 2025

I have a few sacred spaces. One of them is surprising: the Costco food court. Our family ate there A LOT over the years. Probably hundreds of pizzas and thousands of drink refills. And it still looks pretty much the same. Tonight, Jess and I ate there with Jake while getting him groceries to take back to JMU. Sitting at one of those familiar tables where the seven of us often dined, I thought of our kids now in different cities, spread out over the miles. And I longed again for those together times. Longed for the years that slipped away like sand. Because, really, what makes a place sacred other than time spent there with those you love. To me, Costco is way more than a pizza slice or a $1.50 hot dog combo. It’s long-ago memories, silly conversations, laughter in the wind. And yes, pizza. Ah, life’s sacred spaces.