Wednesday 19 December 2012

In the Wake of Tragedy, Do You Believe?



We all watched and listened in horror last Friday as the events of the most tragic massacre unfolded in quiet, peaceful Newtown, Ct. One of my friends posted to her Facebook wall that it was ,"proof again there is no 'God' " That post received some flack, some support and a lot of traffic.
After hiding out for week, trying to deal with the steady media stream of a parents worst nightmare, I finally formed a response to her post.


It went like this", I believe as ********** does. God is a concept to appease the masses. The good works we do, the mystery of life, the summer wind. Those are all part of this collective ideal of God. 
Did he send his only son to Earth? Did he flood the planet or create us all, I have no idea. But when the man called Jesus said that God was in everything and everyone, when he told us God would be known by many different names, I believed him. 
Was God there in CT that day? Yes, in the voices of the teachers, on the lips of the worried family and friends. In the eyes of the first responders who witnessed the unbearable. 
I don't know if God is laughing but I know there are some happy, joyous spirits out there in the great beyond who will greet us when we get called home to the Beginning.
"


I was raised in an Irish Catholic family with clergy for Great Aunts and Uncles. Some of the older generation had strong views, we were all sent to Catholic school. It was part of who we were. In University, I took a World Religion course and formed my own ideas and belief system.

That system came in handy when I heard the news, heard about those poor babies, their teachers who loved them and their families who must carry on. With a shattered heart, I spent any time I could spare to decide how I felt. Did I still believe in a higher power. Yes. Was my soul run over by a truck and dragged 300feet on broken glass? Yes.

Then my amazing cousin posted a quote that she clung to in dealing with the four year anniversary of her mothers passing. It has nothing to do with God and yet, I think this fits perfectly for those ripped from the bosom of the families.

"...In one of the stars I shall be living. In one of them I shall be laughing. And so it will be as if all the stars were laughing, when you look at the sky at night...You - only you - will have stars that can laugh." -- The Little Prince"

Thanks my dear cousin for easing my burden and allowing me to be the mother I need to be to my lovely, yet challenging children.

 I will go outside one evening and listen for the laughter, will you?

Tuesday 11 December 2012

That holiday spirit

So this is Christmas... And what have you done?

John asked that question years ago and seems he does annually.
How have you tried to improve the world you live in? How has the human spirit thrived through you?

At this time of year we rush to find places to volunteer, donate and support. Ask any charity, this seems to be the best time of year for them, hands down.
But why? Is it because we can't stand to see others not enjoying the sanctity of family, tucked in the bosom of peace and security? We insist every child should have a smile on their faces at this time of year.

I'll tell you why this is. At least in my opinion. This is the time of year we feel the most pressure, socially,morally, spiritually to be the kind of person our moms wanted us to be. Kind, generous, giving almost to a fault. The kind of person we want our children to be. Unafraid of being a little vulnerable, to put a $10 in the charity kettle, buy a few toys for the toy drive at the fire hall, be bold and adopt a family at Christmas, send baked goods to the seniors home. All these selfless acts find their way into being at the end of every year.
The air is thick with them. Why the other night, the news reported a person paying off 18 lay-away accounts at their local Walmart. This stranger bought toys for kids!

Two adorable Secret Santas
This week we are taking our two out to Walmart or toys r us to buy a bunch of toys and leave them in the donation pen at the mall. I hope by showing him (age 6) that its ok to do these things. That it makes us feel good to share a bit of what we have.

"Can you believe how good we feel!??"
So I packed the family up after dinner tonight and headed to the mall. The concept came pretty easily to both my children. We bought boots, hats, and of course toys. If the kids on the receiving end are anything like my brother and I, they won't be too thrilled by the clothing, but their parents will.

There was only two moments of "not happy"; one when DD freaked out that Daddy put some dolls in the cart, "I DON"T WANT THOSE!!" It was resolved by telling her they weren't for her.  The BIG fight over who got to put the bags in the donation pen.
Can you believe it?? They couldn't decide who would be the one to "give".
My heart grew three sizes!

My son even smiled his gappy-toothed grin and asked if we could meet the kids we were buying for, so he could play with them and make friends. What a kid.....