I don’t think that I’m going totally crazy…not yet anyway! Sometimes it seems like that because life can be so overwhelming at times. You know what I mean…so much to do and only twenty-four hours in a day. But, such days only remind me of just how dependent I am upon Our Lord and that He’s the One really in charge. Those twenty-four hours ultimately belong to Him. Anyway, in the midst of such days, I find myself not only realizing once again my dependence upon Our Lord and talking with Him – but, also talking with Mother. Now, I love Our Lord’s mother and frequently make intercession of her, too – but, I’m referring to my own mother. You know, the one that gave birth to me – and she’s long with God, Himself! Usually, I’m just crying out to her as I so often did as a kid. Mommmmm! Maaaaaaa! Or just, Hey Ma! One fact of life is that mother’s always respond to their crying children. This is true of our birth mothers and of Our Blessed Mother as well. It’s what mother’s do. As I call out to mom (when I’m alone in the rectory or in my car when you’re not around lest you think that I really am ready for Happy Acres Rest Home), I think of my childhood and the comfort that my mother so, so often gave. Whether kissing and binding a crying child’s wound, feeding a hungry boy’s growling tummy, or inviting a tired tike to rest his little head on her lap – my mother was always ready to comfort and calm. Again, it’s what mother’s do. Now, in the midst of all of life’s craziness even during these weeks of summer, I was reminded of childhood motherly moments recently. It was a warm evening. I was outside sitting on the patio by the pool at my friends’ house. Ahhhh, a little downtime! That’s when I took particular notice of little Axel. The little guy of pre-school age is a happy-go-lucky little kid…most of the time anyway…so his parents tell me. He absolutely loves, loves, loves the outdoors. I can picture him having his own very successful lawn care or outdoor construction business in the future. This particular moment found him in his happy place. He was outside and sitting on a little toy truck – the kind that a kid rides while pushing along using one’s feet. He would push along for a bit and then stop pressing one of the many buttons on the truck which would then play a short bit of music. Think of a neighborhood ice cream truck making its rounds. With each stop and push of a button, Axel would laugh and gyrate – doing a little dance to the music! It was so cute! He wasn’t “performing” to be seen as kids can sometimes do. He was simply in his own content little world. It was where I wanted to be too. All of us watching did. His own mother and the rest of us watching simply laughed too! It brought us all back to our own childhoods and times of simple, happy contentment when everything was just right and there was no thought whatsoever of how many hours were in a day. During these weeks of summer that so quickly pass by, seek a bit of contentment, rest, and refreshment. Get outside, ride your “toy,” listen to some music and “gyrate” a bit! You may even find yourself crying out happily to your mom and doing a little dance with her, while remembering that what time we do have on any given day is, in the end, not yours, mine, or mom’s – but, belongs to the One, Who created all time to begin with! Enjoy all of your times this summer!
Peace!
Fr. Wilson