As you may have guessed, this photo was taken on Ash Wednesday. So, yes, both of these Christians know about the ashen crosses on their foreheads. Soon thereafter, I also received an ashen cross on my forehead, as a priest spoke these words to me: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

The man on the right, Mr. Kirk Waldron, is a member of the Vestry (i.e., governing board) of Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. He has childhood memories of the place and knows where all of the nooks and crannies are. The man on the left, Mr. Gerry Sandoval, is a skilled handyman who knows how to fix all of the nooks and crannies around the church. They are part of a great team that keep Palmer’s buildings from returning to dust, so to speak. They also look after the Rectory, which is now home to me and my family in West University Place. Furthermore, I agree wholeheartedly with a reflection that my wife Carrie wrote about this photo:

Living in a rectory is like living in a haunted house, but instead of ghosts, we live among the memories of the people who lived in and cared for this beautiful home. And instead of hauntings, we get repairs and maintenance and love from these two gentlemen, who listen to me more than they listen to Neil. In the immortal words of Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights, “I appreciate that.”

So that’s our haiku theme for today. Write a verse about those salt-of-the-earth people in your life whom you appreciate for any number of reasons. Use five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line to create something like this, which you’re most welcome to share here:

Gerry and Kirk fix
the things of Palmer, making
the Rector’s wife smile.