Thanks, Moms!
My Uncle Jim had it right a couple weeks back when he said "No matter what you do, no one loves you like your mother."
How true that is. Both in this world and the next.
With that in mind, Happy Mother's Day to all our moms out there. I pray it's not the case, but if they're anything like this mother's son, your kids probably aren't able to fathom the magnitude of all you do, all you give, and all you are, day in and day out... even long after they've gone on from home. So God love you for living the call, and hopefully today's been a day to stock up on the love, pampering and appreciation of your families. May it be yours every second of not just this day, but every day -- you've earned it.
*********************
On a personal note, thanks to everyone who's been so kind to ask after The Boss. She had a good day today -- probably as she knew that she'd be surrounded by her clan, who would be arriving with the customary envelopes (i.e. gifts, i.e. $$$$) in hand.... As she's often wont to say, "Money makes the blind, see, and the lame, walk."
It's been a rough week, however. Many words could be used to describe my grandmother -- "serene" is not one of them, never has been, and we wouldn't have her any other way. But she's just been driving my heroic aunts up walls these last few, and despite spending a chunk of every day there, I'm usually just getting back and beginning to return to business at my place when the call comes in saying, "You have to come over and calm her down -- NOW." So I'll make the trip back, and stay until she's a little less ferocious and whoever's on duty can manage. If that's what constitutes doing my part, especially as it's not much when you think about it, I can't say I terribly mind.
To borrow from the phraseology of Fr Jim Martin, "The saints were saints as they were completely human as they lived in union with God. However, the martyrs were often those who lived with the saints." In that vein, God love my aunts -- they've been incredible, having not left Gram alone for a minute since December; they've been rotating in 24-hour shifts since then. If my Mom and her sisters weren't as close and coordinated as they are, the state of things would've been 15 times more difficult than it's been in reality. And it's the greatest tribute of love they could show, both for the Boss and as an example for us.
Obviously, all this -- and a little bit of everything else -- has put a bit of a crimp into my typical, 19-hour, frantic workaday schedule. The first casualty of the pace has always been the e.mails, and now they're basically backlogged from here to... um... Rome.
(No, I can't see that far, I'm just using the term for dramatic effect.)
Some are starting to get upset with me for not replying, and I accept and understand that completely -- this is God's way of elbowing me in the ribs, which I need more than just every so often. I'm coming to see more and more than he teaches us in his own time....
Just so all of you know, I read every e.mail devotedly, and it kills me that I can't get back to each one personally; believe me, wishing that I could is high-up on my "Things I Would Do If I Were Superman" list. I love each message -- even the ones from people who want to eat my (as yet nonexistent) children -- and it never ceases to overwhelm and humble me that so many of you take time from your own crazy schedules to write, share your stories, questions, comments, critiques, and so much of who you are, what you're doing, and what you think. The experience almost feels like being in the confessional, and I can't thank you enough for being so good to me and making me feel like a part of your lives. Though I can't respond most of the time, please don't ever feel discouraged to write.
One last thing: When my aunt was up from Virginia a few weeks back, she wanted to see some of what I've been doing. So I gave her a couple of the published articles and, so she could sample a real flavor, ran off the front page of Whispers -- a week's worth of posts.
I was thinking that it'd be six or eight pages.... It was 40 pages long.
On seeing this, I couldn't help but think, "Good God! I put my readers through this?!?!" I then immediately sent up an Act of Contrition for having put my readership through such penance (which would roughly equal 1,000 days indulgence, which could be applied to the Pagan Babies, if you so chose).
In light of enduring said suffering, God love you all always for your fortitude, your encouragement, your candor and support. You have no idea how much every last bit of it means....
And in the morning, it all begins again. I hope.
-30-
How true that is. Both in this world and the next.
With that in mind, Happy Mother's Day to all our moms out there. I pray it's not the case, but if they're anything like this mother's son, your kids probably aren't able to fathom the magnitude of all you do, all you give, and all you are, day in and day out... even long after they've gone on from home. So God love you for living the call, and hopefully today's been a day to stock up on the love, pampering and appreciation of your families. May it be yours every second of not just this day, but every day -- you've earned it.
*********************
On a personal note, thanks to everyone who's been so kind to ask after The Boss. She had a good day today -- probably as she knew that she'd be surrounded by her clan, who would be arriving with the customary envelopes (i.e. gifts, i.e. $$$$) in hand.... As she's often wont to say, "Money makes the blind, see, and the lame, walk."
It's been a rough week, however. Many words could be used to describe my grandmother -- "serene" is not one of them, never has been, and we wouldn't have her any other way. But she's just been driving my heroic aunts up walls these last few, and despite spending a chunk of every day there, I'm usually just getting back and beginning to return to business at my place when the call comes in saying, "You have to come over and calm her down -- NOW." So I'll make the trip back, and stay until she's a little less ferocious and whoever's on duty can manage. If that's what constitutes doing my part, especially as it's not much when you think about it, I can't say I terribly mind.
To borrow from the phraseology of Fr Jim Martin, "The saints were saints as they were completely human as they lived in union with God. However, the martyrs were often those who lived with the saints." In that vein, God love my aunts -- they've been incredible, having not left Gram alone for a minute since December; they've been rotating in 24-hour shifts since then. If my Mom and her sisters weren't as close and coordinated as they are, the state of things would've been 15 times more difficult than it's been in reality. And it's the greatest tribute of love they could show, both for the Boss and as an example for us.
Obviously, all this -- and a little bit of everything else -- has put a bit of a crimp into my typical, 19-hour, frantic workaday schedule. The first casualty of the pace has always been the e.mails, and now they're basically backlogged from here to... um... Rome.
(No, I can't see that far, I'm just using the term for dramatic effect.)
Some are starting to get upset with me for not replying, and I accept and understand that completely -- this is God's way of elbowing me in the ribs, which I need more than just every so often. I'm coming to see more and more than he teaches us in his own time....
Just so all of you know, I read every e.mail devotedly, and it kills me that I can't get back to each one personally; believe me, wishing that I could is high-up on my "Things I Would Do If I Were Superman" list. I love each message -- even the ones from people who want to eat my (as yet nonexistent) children -- and it never ceases to overwhelm and humble me that so many of you take time from your own crazy schedules to write, share your stories, questions, comments, critiques, and so much of who you are, what you're doing, and what you think. The experience almost feels like being in the confessional, and I can't thank you enough for being so good to me and making me feel like a part of your lives. Though I can't respond most of the time, please don't ever feel discouraged to write.
One last thing: When my aunt was up from Virginia a few weeks back, she wanted to see some of what I've been doing. So I gave her a couple of the published articles and, so she could sample a real flavor, ran off the front page of Whispers -- a week's worth of posts.
I was thinking that it'd be six or eight pages.... It was 40 pages long.
On seeing this, I couldn't help but think, "Good God! I put my readers through this?!?!" I then immediately sent up an Act of Contrition for having put my readership through such penance (which would roughly equal 1,000 days indulgence, which could be applied to the Pagan Babies, if you so chose).
In light of enduring said suffering, God love you all always for your fortitude, your encouragement, your candor and support. You have no idea how much every last bit of it means....
And in the morning, it all begins again. I hope.
-30-
posted by Rocco Palmo at 23:12
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