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How fortunate we were in NE Ohio that the weather cooperated over the week-end for
the Rock and Roll induction activities. If we had today's weather, it definitely would
have put a damper on the excitement. As you can guess, today is rainy - a fine
drizzle with a feel of damp and dreary --and I'm the one who likes overcast skies.
Am I beginning to change? No, I will always love rain- though not when it's cold
and damp.
The first day of Holy Week has started off with God deciding that I haven't done
nearly enough penance during Lent. At least it seems that way. Opening a can of cat
food, I cut my pinky, and the blood flowed easily. And then I couldn't find a large band-
aid when I remembered happily that I had given them to Norman. In that wonderful
2007 summer when he was my handy man and doing all kinds of jobs - big and small
(big - removing a moldy panel from my garage; small pulling weeds) he had pricked
his fingers when pulling weeds around my mom's rose bushes. I had then given him
my small supply of large band-aids. It seemed that after helping me so much, God
decided he had finished his life's work and called him home in January 2008. How
I miss him. He was the handy man I had always wanted, but God ordained that I
should be grateful for what he had done and it was time for him to go home..
As for the rose bushes, I always refer to them as my mom's as well as the yellow tulip
bulbs which still come up each year - some 40 years later. I was reminded of them when
I saw the beautiful red ones already in bloom in the Blessed Virgin Statue garden at St.
Cyril's where I learned to stop and reflect on her goodness because of the wise example
of Michael who also attends daily liturgy. We do learn from each other and that is good
and shouldn't in anyway make us feel less. Sadly, this year the yellow tulips will no longer
grace my small Blessed Virgin statue in front of the house because someone decided that
they wanted the statue and stole her.
The last time I bled from a wound was when Patty, my rambunctious dog -also of blessed
memory cut, across me in the yard -sending me tumbling. Gratefully, no broken bones but
a bleeding gash over my left eye. It only need 2 stitches but it still hurt! If I could have her
back - another fall wouldn' t meet with my ire as it did that summer day so long ago.
Well- so far the day is young- but I already burned two pieces of toast. They say you
shouldn't eat carbon-coated burnt toast because they are carcinogenic as well as any other
burnt food. But I felt again - it was God giving me some penitential reminders that I didn't
do nearly enough for Lent and He is right!
Just now I had to get another small band-aid to go across my pinky because the A, Q,
Z, and shift keys are a new color - a pinkish-red from my little oozing Pinky which I am
irritating as I type.
The day is only half over - will I have more opportunities for practicing penance? Of course,
so far my penances have been so small - but then large or small- whatever penance we
accept in His name is a reminder of the huge sacrifice He made for us.
