Things are going pretty well here. Reeda is so much easier than Happy Boy was at this age: she isn't colicky and she sleeps very well at night. Parenting two children is a lot easier (so far) than I expected and it is a huge joy to see how much Happy Boy cares for his sister.
I personally haven't known anyone who has died while in the service. However, my grandmother told me that her best friend, her brother Bill, died during World War II. After Bill died, his military priest wrote to their mother to let her know that the morning his plane was shot down Bill had served Mass for him. My grandmother and her mother have taken great consolation in that knowledge.
Every man who dies has a story, a family, and a soul. Remembering this makes the horror of war so much worse for me. My heart breaks for each mother, wife and sister who looses someone and I hope and pray that I am never in their position.
Reflecting upon Memorial Day, I realized that it is a wonderful thing to have this day. We all know that it is good to honor our fallen soldiers, but it is hard to remember to do such a thing (at least for me). Even though we can never give them the honor due to someone who has sacrifice everything for us, at least we have a day to do something in remembrance of them.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.
Amy Welborn linked to this beautiful article about a couple struggling with infertility and various challenges they have faced. It reminded me of many of the childless couples I know who long for the gift of children.
When I was in college my now-husband and I were babysitting the children of one of our professors. When it came time for bedtime prayers, one of the things that they all recited in unison was "Please help Mr. and Mrs. X, Mr. and Mrs. Y, and Mr. and Mrs. Z to have babies." These were all childless couples associated with our college. I was dismayed to realize then that I had become a victim of the contraceptive mentality so pervasive nowadays, but in a way I hadn't expected: I had assumed that all of these couples wanted to be childless at this point in their marriage. Never once did it occur to me that they couldn't have children.
Now, thanks to our professor's children, I pray for a long list of childless couples that I know. It is hard to remember amidst the more negative aspects of parenting (such as sleepless nights and tantrums) that children are a gift. But when I think of the joy and fullness in my life because of them, I realize that they are a very great gift indeed. I want my friends to have that gift and with it the joy and fullness. So, especially today, I pray that they will be able to have the joy of becoming mothers and fathers.
St. Gerard and Our Lady of Fatima, pray for them!
Elizabeth has an interesting book meme which I thought I would do. Here are the rules:
Grab the nearest book.
This is the third night in a row that we have had horrible thunderstorms. Every day it is beautiful and sunny and every night it sounds like there is heavy artillery going off the next block over. And according to the weather reports, it's not going to stop before Sunday.
I don't mind the thunder and lightening and heavy rain too much. In fact, as long as I am safely at home, I love the sound of the rain coming down and moderate thunder. The problem is that we have had two tornado warnings since Reeda was born and they usually come during these types of storms. I'm not too keen on packing up two children to go downstairs and bang on a neighbor's door for shelter. Especially when I am alone and my husband is in class. If that concern was non-existent, it would be so much easier to appreciate the sounds and sights of a thunderstorm.
Is John Allen. Here's an interesting article about traveling with the Pope on the papal plane.
HT: Amy Welborn
