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Even though I have been a mason for such a short time, in my heart I have always been of the craft. During my life I consider myself lucky. In studying science, I learned many secrets that few were privy to, except the Great Author of Nature. Life has always held one more mystery to be explored, one more truth to discover, one more person to get to know. While I was always fascinated with learning aspects of the natural world and how life worked, it was always more interesting to me to talk about it, share it with others, to teach the how and speculate on the why.

In entering into masonry, more secrets were to be explored. I am uncertain whether I have the any poetic abilities to describe what I know in my heart. The experiences I have had as a mason, the sense of belonging, of acceptance, of a culture fulfilled, of joining my life to history. I employed my skills, as a student, to learn the lectures and eventually propounded a candidate with that which I myself and so many others have done before. I*ve studied for months, with several to help guide me, discovering the joy of words and thoughts long since recorded in antiquity. I thought that I understood, some of the meanings the nuances, the history, the words, but then something unexpected happened to give it an entirely new meaning. The candidate's father attended the lecture.

It was truly an inspiring and touching moment, for all present, to have both father and son together in our lodge at this time. The bond of masonry between a father and son, nay more between a brother and a brother unveils a rich heritage of tradition, a strong, beautiful and tangible feeling that truly stirred the soul; a moment that all present were fortunate to share.

Again masonry had taught me something. I had not simply learned all the words, and merely repeated them. The words had meaning, unique to all that experienced them. I had not come to the end of masonry but I stood on the porch, looking out to see it influence others around me. And in looking back I see my ancient brethren armed with a strange and mysterious symbol pointing forward, and in the distance; more brethren to carry that symbol towards the light.