I knew that the call would be coming from Sioux Falls... for dad to return there and have his tubes into each kidney changed, and this morning that happened. Telling the person on the other end that dad had passed away on October 23rd... caused me to once again face that this long time together is now done, and looking back it seems too short and quick.
He took interest in Mary's goats, Rose's First Communion, Ruth's garden and our huge days canning - especially the two days we canned over 200+ jars of tomato soup, which he adored and ate a jar of soup every few days! He could eat tomato soup at least one meal a day along with a dish of our applesauce - that's why we do the work! I also was recalling how my mother loved my applesauce and would have it every day with her plain yogurt! Definitely one of our 7 families that loved our food!
I was overjoyed and blessed to share in that Religious life with my father! I had discerned a call to become a nun, which was the reason I said "yes" to coming into The Church 49 years ago at 20 years old. Dad allowed the 3 older girls to decide on our own, and mine was an enthusiastic "Yes!!!!" My call was not to religious life, but I am time to time allowed to share in that of my nun daughter, Little Sister Hallel, and for the last 6 months with my father!
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/my-most-cherished-cross-patrick-gerard.html
https://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/p/the-amazing-story-of-13-becoming.html
When we left Sioux Falls 6 weeks ago, after he had his tubes changed - we said that we would be returning around the first week of December. Never thinking that it would end in a week starting with his passing out on Sunday, coming back in a weakened state, and peacefully "naturally" dying on Friday. I am sure the mortician was surprised to see the two tubes coming out of his back... dad was famous among the nurses and aides for the number of bags he had strapped to his legs - at one time he had 4! "The bag man, who is famous for having the most bags!" I would tell him. He took it in stride.
Early after his arrival we watched an entire growing season... the field was dug, and the leaves came out on the trees all around us. The seeds were planted and we the green shoots of corn come out of the black soil and each day grow more and more up to 7+feet! Then the ears and the crop ripen to golden, then the combine filled to overflowing with golden corn! A bumper crop with the wonderful rains in July!
Through August Pat has us praying for rain in the drought, and dad would always add "For Pat and all the farmers" on our chaplet! How he took interest in his growing season on the farm!
The last 2 beautiful Indian summer days - I have returned to our spot and prayed aloud - feeling the presence of mom and dad with me! The gnats are there to remind me of the penances we embraced on hot humid days...
Psalm 105 from mass today prayed and sung around the world... so beautiful and true of my father's love for Jesus and praying for that to be recognized by his huge family of 130+
Sing to him, sing his praise,
proclaim all his wondrous deeds.
Glory in his holy name;
rejoice, O hearts that seek the LORD!
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Look to the LORD in his strength;
seek to serve him constantly.
Recall the wondrous deeds that he has wrought,
his portents, and the judgments he has uttered.
R. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord.
My father certainly did "seek to serve him constantly."
Dad's funeral mass - the Eulogy is the example of his following Christ - loving him with all his heart, mind, and soul! And his neighbor as himself!
When he got dressed in his white shirt and red tie - "I look like Donald Trump!" Pray for our country, dad!
When in his own home... he made me breakfast each day, and it was usually his 3rd breakfast for that morning as he rose at 5a!
Much to ponder today as the Gospel was the lost sheep or coin from Luke 15... reading the Meditation of the Day by Helen Alvore - The Worth of Every One... she speaks of praying constantly through her days, to which I can relate as well as my father!
An observer might conclude that, within this large perspective, I would bring very little to God in prayer. How could little things matter in such a big universe? But the observer would be wrong. When I am praying about even one person the matter is instantly cosmic! There is a Spanish phrase that explains my thinking here: Each person is a world. I feel perfectly assured that God cares a great deal about the health, happiness, self-worth, suffering, etc, of every single person.... Pope Benedict XVI put in so gorgeously in Deus Caritas Est when he instructed us to give every single person that "look of love which they crave." ... At one of his weekly audiences in St Peter's Square, Pope Francis heard a man shout to him, "You are one of a kind!" In the instant, the Pope stopped what he was doing to look back at the man and shout with equal warmth, "But you are one of a kind too!" No matter how long is history and how wide God's powers, I am confident that he still regards with favor my prayers up particular individuals. Helen Alvare
Jesus, we long to be more and more yours with each new day! May we die to self so that you may use us more and more to your honor and glory! Be with our country, dear Lord. Jesus, we trust in you. Amen and Hallelujah
St. Elizabeth, pray for us!
“Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus.
Finally, there was only one other family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me.
There were eight children, all probably under the age of 12. The way they were dressed, you could tell they didn't have a lot of money, but their clothes were neat and clean.
The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, animals, and all the acts they would be seeing that night. By their excitement you could sense they had never been to the circus before. It would be a highlight of their lives.
The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, "You're my knight in shining armor." He was smiling and enjoying seeing his family happy.
The ticket lady asked the man how many tickets he wanted? He proudly responded, "I'd like to buy eight children's tickets and two adult tickets, so I can take my family to the circus." The ticket lady stated the price.
The man's wife let go of his hand, her head dropped, the man's lip began to quiver. Then he leaned a little closer and asked, "How much did you say?" The ticket lady again stated the price.
The man didn't have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his eight kids that he didn't have enough money to take them to the circus?
Seeing what was going on, my dad reached into his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill, and then dropped it on the ground. (We were not wealthy in any sense of the word!) My father bent down, picked up the $20 bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, sir, this fell out of your pocket."
The man understood what was going on. He wasn't begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking and embarrassing situation.
He looked straight into my dad's eyes, took my dad's hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with his lip quivering and a tear streaming down his cheek, he replied; "Thank you, thank you, sir. This really means a lot to me and my family."
My father and I went back to our car and drove home. The $20 that my dad gave away is what we were going to buy our own tickets with.
Although we didn't get to see the circus that night, we both felt a joy inside us that was far greater than seeing the circus could ever provide.
That day I learnt the value to Give.
The Giver is bigger than the Receiver. If you want to be large, larger than life, learn to Give. Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything.
The importance of giving, blessing others can never be over emphasized because there's always joy in giving. Learn to make someone happy by acts of giving.”
~ Katharine Hepburn
Danielle Rose
Joy!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment