This weekend, I had the joy of celebrating First Holy Communion with my nephew Patrick. My trip to Gulfport, Mississippi was seamless - God has blessed all of my sacramental travels this year.
Time spent with Patrick is a treat. He is already a true southern gentleman. "Yes or No" questions are always answered with a "Yes, ma'am" and a sweet smile. Patrick's golf game is phenomenal for an 8 year old, but even more astounding is his golf etiquette! I loved every minute of every day of this trip, because I love Patrick so very much. I love his passion for animals, the fact that he loves to run and play, and the way he drapes himself over you to cuddle when you're sitting next to him on the couch. I love his "Notre Dame" bedroom and the fact that he beats me every time in basketball. But most of all, I love his sweet spirit and his caring soul. I really wonder if there is anyone more holy and in love with Jesus than a second grader anticipating receiving Him in the Eucharist for the very first time.
This was my first trip back to Gulfport since Hurricane Katrina. I was mentally prepared for the damage of the storm, but not emotionally prepared. On Saturday, after a delicious brunch at the Beau Rivage, my family took me on a "devastation tour" along the coastline. I was truly shocked by what I saw (or rather, what I didn't see). The shore that had previously been lined with lovely homes and businesses was barren and empty. Foundations marked the spots of many of the buildings that were washed away by the storm surge, but little else remained.
At St. Thomas, my family's church and Patrick's former school, there was very little left of what had once been such a vibrant faith community. The remnants of a gym and playground were the only signs that anything had ever existed on the property. Having attended this parish in the past, my heart hurt for all that had been lost.
That hurt, however, was replaced on Sunday by a sense of amazement. St. Thomas has rebuilt in temporary quarters. Children attend school and the parish worships together in what was formerly a roller skating rink. When my family pulled up in front of what looked to me like a really big trailer, my heart sank - "This is where my nephew is going to school? There aren't even any windows!" I thought silently to myself.
But I was wrong - what was lost has been found in this compact space, and I'm willing to bet that the faith and spirit of those who worship at St. Thomas has grown in the process. As we celebrated the First Communion mass, serenaded by a children's choir and led in worship by one of the most wonderful priests I've ever met, I found myself having a change of heart. My sense of pity for the poor people of St. Thomas was quickly shifting to a sense of envy - truly "Church" is the people, not the building. The love of Jesus and of life was so tangible to me during that Mass that I felt a great sense of joy for my nephew Patrick and for my family who have the opportunity to be a part of that special faith family.
My sister Brady, one of the heroes in my life, is a Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist at St. Thomas. On Sunday, after Patrick had received his First Communion from Fr. Louis, he lined up in front of his mother to receive the precious Blood of Christ. The joy of watching Brady share this moment with Patrick is something I will always remember - I am so very happy that I was able to make the trip and be present with them.
St. Thomas is still rebuilding and the people of the Gulf Coast and New Orleans still desperately need our help and support. I think it will take years for them to rebuild all that has been lost materially. But in the end, they will be better off because of the sense of faith and community that is so clearly present in their parish.
Patrick, thank you for the opportunity to share your special weekend, and for the joy you bring to my life and to all of your family. You are a precious gift from God! I love you!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Happy First Communion Patrick!
Friday, March 09, 2007
Empty Arms, Sad Heart
I know most of you are probably thinking by now that I gave up blogging for Lent - well, it sort of feels that way. Sitting at the computer, pouring out your heart, requires a few essentials: time and inspiration. For the past few weeks, I was lacking greatly on the time element thanks to the fact that I had welcomed my Mom/Nana and sweet little Patrick/PIII into my home for two weeks. We were too busy playing, feeding, and just trying to keep PIII occupied for me to feel like spending much extra time at my computer. The visit was wonderful!
I said goodbye to Nana early Wednesday morning. My coping mechanism for saying goodbye is always knowing when I will see her next, which seems to be May. I think I can probably survive that long. PIII's Daddy, Patrick II, arrived Wednesday evening to whisk him away. The look of sheer joy that crossed that baby's face when he saw his Daddy was priceless. The love is unmistakable. I'm not sure what PIII's Mommy and Daddy have done to turn him into the perfect baby, but whatever they're doing, they should keep it up!
With an empty home, or at least one filled with only it's usual occupants, I should have been back to blogging yesterday. Sadly, it was the Inspiration element that was lacking at that point. I needed a day to mope, to embrace the empty hole that seems to have formed in my heart. My hip misses holding a toddler while working around the kitchen. My arms feel sadly light and airy with no one to pick up and snuggle. My ears miss hearing Nana's voice first thing in the morning. My heart is sad and a little lonely...
Since he's only a little tike, PIII likely won't remember the two weeks he spent at our house. But I have a treasure trove of memories tucked away to last me until the next time he comes for an extended visit. When he grows up, he will probably enjoy hearing about the things he did as a baby. My own boys love nothing more than hearing about their crazy exploits as toddlers (for example, the time Adam broke his arm trying to fly out of the wagon in a superman costume). I will tell PIII about his favorite things as a 19 month old:
- Walking out to the front yard to check the mailbox
- Listening to his "Greg and Steve" CD while eating breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack and more snack. And saying "Again!" after every song
- How he strangely seems to love watching American Idol (I wonder who turned him on to that!)
- How his face brightened every time he saw feet walking down the stairs in the hopes of seeing one of his big boy cousins
- How easily he went down for his naps and how he always woke with a smile on his face
- How he said the names of those who meant the most to him: "Man" (Nana), "Am" (Adam), Eck ("Eric"), and Geg ("Greg")
- How much he loved his outings to places like the pet store to see the "Cheepy Birds", to the playground where he would put serious effort into filling his bucket with sand, and on walks in the stroller where he always needed his cup and some animal crackers
Now I just need to get my hands on Patrick P., Evan and Tyler for a couple of weeks!!!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Fun Begins
Nana and PIII (my little nephew Patrick III - 19 months) have arrived on the scene. This will be an extended visit, two weeks of fun and adventures. The CatholicMom.com corporate headquarters is now host to a "Pack and Play" crib, tons of diapers, and lots of baby stuff. I'm working in the "ancillary" CatholicMom.com facility (i.e. the dining room table) while the little one is napping this afternoon.
Since my site is primarily aimed at Mommies (although I know you Daddies out there are secretly reading this!), I think it's great for me to have this "real world" experience for a few weeks of what it's like for Moms of toddlers who are working from home. My kids were already older when I started my web work.
After less than twelve hours, I can see that I will need to be very organized and not waste time when I have the opportunity to get things done. Nap time seems to provide a good chunk of serviceable work time. Nana is here to do most of the baby duty - I'm just a helper - but I want to spend as much time with both of them as possible while still fulfilling my other responsibilities.
For those of you out there who work at home with little ones, I'd love your tips on what works for you, how you manage your time, and what pitfalls to avoid.
In the mean time, I'll be playing trains, going to the playground and cooking lots of finger food!
Monday, January 15, 2007
The Best Laid Plans...
Irony often reigns in the life of a Catholic Mom. Today, I embark on a new journey as part of the advent of the "C E On Time - A Guide to Personal Productivity Blog" over at Catholic Exchange. While it's an honor to be invited to blog with the talented folks who've been lined up for this new project, today has left me feeling particularly unworthy of my invitation.
Things have been going along swimmingly with my babysitting gig - our 18 month old nephew Patrick has been with us since Friday evening. Last night, as I held him at Mass and collected comments on his excellent behavior, I should have known that something was amiss. Do you know many 18 month olds who will agree to be held quietly for the majority of an hour long Mass?
Well, this morning I discovered why little PIII was so compliant last night. He must have been coming down with something. We've spent most of today cleaning up vomit and doing lots of snuggling. I'm happy to say that the worst of it seems to be behind us. He managed to eat dinner and was just tucked in to bed. It's been at least 8 hours since the last tummy attack.
Personal productivity seemed the farthest thing from my mind today as I fretted over my sweet little nephew's well being. Thankfully, I had already planned a clear calendar for the duration of Patrick's stay (which ends tomorrow). However, it was an excellent reminder that sometimes, the most productive thing a parent can do is to lovingly hold and care for a child. Dishes may pile up and goodness knows there'll be lots of laundry (the yucky kind) waiting, but few things seemed more important - and productive - to me today than snuggling with a precious toddler.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Things My Auntie Lisa Learned Today
Hi everybody! Mom and Dad may think my bed time is 7:00 pm, but when I stay at Auntie Lisa's house, I get to stay up late and blog. I thought I'd take a minute to teach you some of the important lessons I taught Auntie Lisa today:
* If you want something, no matter how outlandish it may be, smile and look really cute when you ask for it. You will likely get what you want!
* Stop eating when you're full, even if there's still stuff in front of you. Then immediately get up and run around - you'll be in great shape like I am!
* It's never to cold to go outside and play, or to take a walk.
* My favorite part of Mass is any time Uncle Greg is playing his guitar. Auntie Lisa must think so too, because she smiles a lot when he plays.
* If you're at Target and there's something you think you can't live without (like a Buzz Lightyear with lights and talking noises), pick it up and walk around with it while you shop. Right before you leave, sneak it back onto the shelf. You probably won't even remember you wanted it by the time you get home and you'll save some money.
* Having a giggle fit while someone says bedtime prayers with you is an excellent stall tactic.
If you're lucky, maybe I'll be back tomorrow as a guest blogger. I'm supposed to go to the zoo with my cousins, so it should be a great day!
Love and kisses,
PIII
