Random Acts of "Kindness"

Archive for June, 2012

Some Lessons Are Hard To Learn

Just because I have friends in high places doesn’t mean that my life is easy. If I listened — but many years ago I must have stopped, because they don’t speak to me — life might be easier. As it is I muddle through, looking for hints, and guidance from various means. When an important message is trying to get through, it is repeated many times until I understand. It helps if I verbally say thank you or in some form acknowledge that I understand. Sometimes I even get physically hit on the head by cascading stuff from the freezer, or tree branches, or doors or car trunks. The ultimate was a toilet seat but that is a future story.

As I sit writing this thought ramble, I know that “someone is helping.” The font has already changed sizes. Computers were not a household item when my father was alive. A printer by trade, he complied a list for solving puzzles using a typewriter. I’ve heard that my mother was a court stenographer. I have not inherited that talent. If I had to write a book on a typewriter, it would NEVER have made it into print. First off, I flunked typing, second, my typing is atrocious. I might get ten words a minute with five errors.  I have to look at the keys.  (Laugh with me, that sentence was just italicized but I fixed it.)

Each chapter in both books went through many rewrites.  Believe me when I say that manually on a typewriter it NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!

While I learned to write our story on the computer, THEY HELPED!! It might be a change in font, or the computer would freeze or everything I wrote might just be deleted. After a while I learned that sometimes, what I was thinking was not part of the story. Sometimes a different message was trying to get through. I can’t tell you how many times I rewrote a story about a first communion party at my second daughter’s house for To Pap, With Love.  I think it was the fourth chapter, it was a cute story and I WANTED TO KEEP IT! Each time I printed that chapter the printer stopped at the party. When I FINALLY RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED the MESSAGE the chapter printed with no problem.

What was the message you might ask? We received a present that day–  a beautiful day.

With their “help” I got sidetracked.  Back to my original thought.

Recently I read a question in one of the magazines or books that cross my path.  It asked the reader to list 10 people that where important in their life. I wrote out my list. Then a few pages forward, it asked where on the list I was. Would you believe, I wasn’t on there at all.

I wish I could say that after that bit of enlightenment I’m now on my list. NOPE! But I’m trying. I’m sodium restricted which has made a HUGE change in my diet. If I have too much sodium, my ankles swell and walking becomes painful. A job from hell (more about that later) caused circulation problems. I’m not diabetic, nor do I think I have heart problems but I get sores on one of my legs that don’t want to heal. I’m overweight — try as I might — my fat loves me. Therefore, I have to remember when I’m in the store, to  buy foods that I can eat too. I’m sure it will come as no surprise when I say that most of the food I can eat, my husband prefers not to.  Most of what he likes, I can’t eat.

I’m trying to be on my list, are you on yours?

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Sometimes There Is No Answer

It started off as a normal day. I opened Queen Of Angels to Cure For Inconveniences and I laughed. Each morning I open both the Bible and Queen of Angels randomly and read the chapter for the day. When I read the meditation “If I am a true believer, I accept my path in this life. …. Each inconvenience is an opportunity to trust God’s divine Love and Providence in my life,” I laughed again.

I won’t bore you with the details of why this particular chapter was so appropriate except to list two examples. Flying home from Florida on Tuesday,  we learned our departing flight was delayed, causing us to miss our connection. New travel plans meant leaving at 2:00PM  for the airport instead of five.    (Oh, you’re not packed!) Luggage in an open bed of a truck, the sky opened up and our luggage got a bath.

On the home front, Tidbit, our pug had developed diabetes. The disease caused a pressure in her left eye. The vet suggested the eye be removed. The operation was Tuesday. Our son picked us up at the airport with a recovering pug that was now blind and could not be left alone.

I thought my Floridian daughter would appreciate the meditation. She did and asked that I email it to her. As I typed the message, I heard a faint tinkling of something. Investigating I found two tiny pink earrings laying on the buffet behind me. Pink is the color of LOVE!

An hour later, our phone rang. “This is a voice from your past,” my cousin Bob said. I had not talked to him in a few months, he is dealing with challenging health issues. Last July, he had a knee replaced.  A month later it developed an infection — four operations later he is still dealing with the problem. He credits his mother for his optimism and attitude. She was always positive, “We Can DO IT!” He is always positive, we can do it.

In March, he thought he would get a new knee but the doctor discovered another infection, so he is still wearing a pick line and waiting for the infection to go away.  Therefore, he is not able to be very active. While watching the History channel on a story about egg candeling, he remembered when he lived at 1900 N. Keeler. A man in the garage behind the building candeled eggs for a business. Bob shared the story with his wife that night.

The next morning, on his bedside table, he found a Juvenile Library card from 1957, issued in his name with the address of 1900 N. Keeler. He has no idea where it came from. It wasn’t a momento that he kept for years. The card wasn’t torn or damaged, just a little wrinkled around the edges.

THANKS MOM!

He shared the story with me because he knew I would understand. And he is correct, I do!

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A Tale of Two Mary’s

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I am a practicing Catholic. My father’s family (eleven children ) were very spiritual people — in the protestant religions. A great grandfather was a minister. My mother was a Catholic. In order to marry her, my father changed religions over his families objections.

Why am I writing this? Because it helps to give an understanding to my life.

Growing up I attended church on Sundays and attended parochial school. Raising children, although still a Catholic, I didn’t always go to church, until an event — instrumental in my life — changed my thinking. I was at the right place, at the right time, to help save someone’s life. (The story was written in both To Pap, With Love, and Journey With Me.)

Our Lady, the Blessed Virgin Mary, although always active in my life, played a hide and seek game with me — that story is also in both books. I was at Queen Of Heaven cemetery in 1991 when miracles were occurring. While I was there, I felt like I was in a rose garden, the fragrance was so strong, but few roses were in view and no one wore rose perfume. We learned later that it was a sign Our Lady was present. The silver chain on my mother of pearl rosary turned gold that day.

 Enough background — Sunday, 6/13/2012, we attended church service at our daughter’s River Of Life Methodist Church in Jacksonville, FL.

After the service, theme: Communication — Two Way Traffic  –I was introduced to Mary Ellen, a mother visiting from Massachusetts. She wore a beautiful medal of Our Lady, gold face against a blue veil, that she received from her aunt. She was raised Lutheran but became Catholic when her son was suffering from a life threatening illness. Wearing the medal, she stood praying at the sea wall when she felt two angels lift her shoulders, removing her burden.

The second Mary entered my life that afternoon at Fernandina Beach. My daughter, granddaughter and I stopped in the woman’s bathroom after a shopping spree. There was NO TOILET PAPER, KLEENEX OR PAPER TOWELS in sight. I met Mary Smith when I stepped outside. When I shared our sad story, she remembered a crushed box of Kleenex in her car which she donated to the cause.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mother’s Day

Our plans for Mother’s Day this year changed in a heartbeat when my youngest daughter’s mother-in-law wound up in the hospital. Sue had planned to spend their anniversary and Mother’s Day in their home in Central Illinois. Instead, they travelled to Chicago with their two children and two puppies to spend the weekend at our house. While we watched their children, not only were they able to visit in the hospital,  they were able to go out for dinner and a play to celebrate their anniversary. Then three mothers were able to spend Mother’s day with their children.

Our house was no longer quiet. Our kitchen was busy, more seats were occupied at the table. We were able to take our grandchildren — three and six  — to Lincoln Park Zoo. After they returned home and quiet returned to our house I realized what a great present I received — busy, I felt like a mother. Thank you!

The next weekend, I got another surprise. Shopping at Walmart in Dixon, IL. I spotted a beautiful long dress whose colors reminded me of a peace rose. Of course, I had to look at it. It was on clearance, the only one like it on the rack and close to my size.  I had to buy it.  It fit. Happy Mother’s Day!

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Traveled Paths

I have to admit that I don’t know where I am going. Once again the path curves, what lies ahead.  Our youngest  grandson is going into first grade, his sister is entering preschool. Will our help still be needed? OF COURSE, but maybe not as often.

I have a husband, and four children — three girls and a son, all grown. Although in my writing, I share many of the events of my life, I try to keep their lives private.

Looking back over the years, it seems that once I have finished a job, another window opens up. Self publishing with iuniverse has allowed my books to still be available even though they were published many years ago. Recently, I’m getting inquiries about my first book — To Pap, With Love. I find this interesting.

Many times I have been in this situation. Many times while wandering I have reflected on the curve in the road. Just because I have help “from my friends in high places” doesn’t mean that boulders and detours don’t affect my path! No one said life would be easy.

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