The Hamptons-The Good Life

I spent sometime in the Hamptons visiting my friend and I'm always struck by the amount of wealth on the South Shore/East End of Long Island. The historic towns are quite pristine, the restaurants serve delicious food, good wine and there are pretty vistas, not to mention the awesome beaches.  Its no wonder that celebrities and wealthy people, from all over,  flock there and spend millions of dollars on homes.  But there's also great (in your face) wealth inequality in the Hamptons. The workers, behind the scenes, who keep the lawns beautiful, and the maids who keep the hotel rooms and inns clean and the huge houses dust-free, are a stark reminder of the income inequality in our country. But to be hopeful,  since this is the land of opportunity (as my own grandparents took advantage of after coming from Italy in the 1920's) there is hope that anyone can climb the ladder of success.......and make it big in the USA.
While in Southhampton we visited the beautiful Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It is a Minor Basilica, a Gothic Revival style church of the Diocese of Rockville Center. On a quiet summer afternoon, it was peaceful and holy inside the sacred space of the Church. There were many intentions I had to pray for and so we sat surrounded by sacred art and beauty and felt at peace. The peace only a union with God can provide.
NJA