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The doctor said my husband needs the boot, and I whole-heartedly agree! Actually it was about a month ago that Kevin went to the podiatrist and was told he should start wearing a boot that would cushion his foot more, thereby letting the many micro-fractures to heal which have been causing his arch to collapse. I did not accompany my beloved on said appointment last month, so he left the office without the recommended boot. I did not make the same mistake of letting him go unsupervised to last week’s appointment which is why he is now walking around with a huge boot he gets to wear for at least a month, while we’re on vacation, maybe longer, because he neglected to follow doctor’s orders the first time around.
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Word to all mothers: Wednesday evening, I had the privilege of meeting with several leaders of local ministries which respect and protect the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. At our regular third Wednesday of the month Respect Life meeting, we had in attendance the local leaders of a number of outreach ministries for moms, children and families in the area, including: the Pregnancy Resource Center, Young Lives, Natural Family Planning, Rachel’s Vineyard, 40 Days for Life, the Diocesan Office for Persons with Disabilities, and St. Michael’s Human Concerns committee. We all were inspired by the amazing work being done, through the grace of God, in each of these ministries. Each one would love to have your prayers, and if possible, your time as a volunteer.
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Finally, a sister sighting! Close to a week after my youngest sister Theresa returned home for the summer from The Ohio State University, I finally got a chance to see her in person, give her a big hug, and have some time to catch up. Okay, so truth be told, it’s still weird to ride around in my sister’s car with her driving, listening to music blasting out of her iPod quite similar to what I used to listen to in terms of atrocious lyrics set to a good dance beat, but I’m still glad we got to chill for a bit. Though I know time with her big sis isn’t high on her list these days, I still look forward to it.
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A brush-off as cause for deeper reflection. Last week, a friend I hadn’t seen in a while came into St. Benedict’s for daily Mass. I happened to be sitting alone that evening. I waved hi when she came in and I thought she saw me. When she slipped in the pew a couple rows back, I moved down, thinking she and her friend were coming to say hi and sit with me. They didn’t even stop to say hi. They were hurrying over to see close friends of theirs sitting on the other side of the church. I felt embarrassed and rejected, but it put me in a much better position to pray. I realized that often I do the same thing. I bypass those who ought to receive the warmest greeting and am more cordial to others who aren’t supposed and when it comes down to it don’t really have the same top two places in my heart as the Lord and my husband. I prayed much more fervently considering the number of times I’d taken Christ’s Presence and my husband’s for granted while making a big deal out of seeing other people.
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Nous avons très bien mangé… This line from “La Cantatrice Chauve” (The Bald Soprano) by Ionesco sums up one aspect of what I’m convinced made French Camp this week a success: we’ve eaten very well. We had the opportunity to taste some delicious French foods, such as: soufflé, croissants avec la confiture de fraise (strawberry jam), pain au chocolat (chocolate pastry), deux types de fromage (two types of cheese): la Brie et la Gruyère, and sorbet. For the second year in a row, la Gruyère won out as the most popular of the two cheeses. The French would have been horrified to hear that we also served cheese sticks as part of snack that day, and that they were relished as well. Shh, don’t tell!
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Weightless. I recently came across a very moving blog written by a woman, who among many other things, has struggled with, survived, and taught others about the pain of having an eating disorder. To read the inspiring article this wife, mother, journalist, author, and wounded healer wrote, click here. The following comment I posted best sums up what I see as the power of Kate Wicker’s ministry:
Kate, I would like to commend you for having the courage to share with others about the deepest struggles in your life. Clearly, you are helping many people by being honest about what you've been through. Though I've never had an eating disorder, I got dangerously close a few times when my life was really out of control. It was very difficult to do, but I have confronted a few friends over the years who I knew were suffering from eating disorders and encouraged them to get help. It can be difficult to share honestly and openly about our suffering, but it also makes mom's like the one who wrote you the note about her daughter, reach out and ask for prayers, advice, and suggestions from someone who's lived through it. May God continue to bless you and your writing ministry.
Check out Jennifer Fulwiler’s 7 Quick Takes Friday series and her high-traffic for good reason blog Conversion Diary.
