Don't forget Daddy...

A blessed Holy Week to you all! I hope your Lent has been fruitful and grace-filled. I've spent my free moments today reflecting on my own lenten experience this year and I've decided that it has been humbling and hopeful. I didn't give up much in the way of food, since I'm still on my dairy-free nursing-friendly diet, which is mortifying enough in and of itself. I specifically focused on being patient and gentle with Monica. There were times of great victory, and times of total defeat.

I also decided to get the kids to one daily mass per week, which has also proved to be quite a sacrifice. There were a couple of times where Kevin joined us which was super helpful for me, but definitely stressful for him. I think Monica might have amped up her mass-time craziness just because she knew there were two of us to handle her.

We go to daily mass at a small chapel in an office building. It's nice because the daily masses are no more than 30 minutes. It's not so nice because it's super small and any little bump, rattle or shout carries for all to hear.

And, since Monica's whisper capabilities are still latent and she has only two volumes, loud and louder, it can be really challenging it is impossible to keep her quiet and in the pew for the entire mass.

I definitely spent no small amount of time doubting that it was worth the effort.

As always, God came through in the end. Today, as we were pulling out of the driveway for our last lenten daily mass, I told Monica that we were going to church to see Jesus. She said, "Jesus loves Monica!"

"Yes, he does! He loves all of us, the whole world."

"Jesus loves Monica and Mama and James and Daddy and Buck..."

"You're right, Monica!"

"Mary loves Monica." (Mary, as in the Blessed Mother.)

"She does, Monica! Mama Mary loves all of us. Who else does Mama Mary love?"

"Mama Mary loves Monica and James and Mama and Buck and trash."

That made it all worth it, right there. On some level, the all-encompassing love of God and the Blessed Mother is sinking in. Granted, the whole skipping out on Mama Mary loving Daddy and then adding trash was a little weird, but there's time to work on that. It is wonderful to see that even our most feeble and frustrated of efforts can be used for eternal good.

May you have a blessed Holy Week and a joy-filled Easter!