Don't say "Goodbye"...

The priest and I again visited Minnie who had just been moved to another hospice care facility. She was getting much weaker but she purposely forced herself to sit up in the bed because she wanted to be anointed again and to receive Communion.

Because Minnie was so weak, I suggested that the priest do only what was necessary for the rite, rather than every prescribed prayer. She was able to receive Communion and, I know, she was grateful that we had come.

As we were getting ready to leave and were saying our goodbyes, Minnie spoke up and in no uncertain terms, reminded us: "Don't say goodbye... say, See you later!"

Minnie died two days later...

See you later, my precious friend... when we all meet at the throne of mercy... May you rest in peace in the arms of our loving Father.

Thinking outside of the box...

When you get as old as I am, you are generally pretty set in your ways, as far as thinking is concerned. It's really hard to look at a problem and not approach it in a similar way you have approached it for most of your adult life. It's hard to think outside the box!

But one sometimes has to do just that in order to grow in your relationship with God. What??!!

Okay, so I had an appointment with my SD this week and I was bringing a problem of mine that I haven't been able to work out. It concerns a parish situation that is really frustrating to me... and to many others... When I get frustrated, I also become angry about the situation... because what I want to happen, doesn't... and I know others feel the same way and they are frustrated and angry too.

I am well aware that my frustration and anger has as its basis, my nemesis, PRIDE! Yikes! Lord, I need help! I'm not doing too well on my own.

Without going into details about the parish situation, I asked my SD for help in changing something in this equation of frustration, anger and pride... I wanted to break the cycle of how I was looking at the situation. I couldn't do it myself because I didn't know how to think out of the box that I had created because of my approach to other situations in the past...

My SD apparently understood something I didn't... or couldn't see... Something very simple that has now been a great help in how I look at the parish situation and my response to it...

"Have you ever thought that maybe by not allowing the situation to be resolved, that God is trying to teach you something?"

Do you see the light bulb that just came on? Habits of how one responds to things are so deeply ingrained they are very hard to break. My SD showed me there are other ways of looking at a problem. Of course, I know that... BUT I couldn't apply it to myself until he made the connection!

Lord, you send me your graces in so many ways...

The end of days...

I am very very tired tonight... I have had a busy day.

This afternoon, I received an email from our parish secretary alerting us that Minnie was back in the hospital and not doing well. Also, that one of our elderly parishioners had had a stroke and was in the local VA hospital in the hospice unit.

Minnie is my friend who has recently been diagnosed with metastatic cancer... I had been bringing Communion to her since an earlier hospitalization. I had not been able to get in touch with her for the last week and didn't know what was going on. Minnie is one of our Wednesday evening Mass participants and has been the one to set up for the Mass ever since I realized how much she wanted to do this herself. So I stepped aside and set up the lectionary instead...

After I read the email, I called the parish office to speak to our priest. I asked if he was planning to visit these two parishioners this afternoon because family members had asked for him. I wanted to go with him. So we agreed on a time. Our priest is one of our foreign priests and is happy to have someone accompany him on these visits.

The hospital where Minnie had been admitted is a large complex of hospitals and requires a lot of walking and directions on how to go from one place to another. There are even slips of paper with directions to help people find their way. When we arrived at her room, Minnie was awake but a little confused in talking to us... She has had many tests and lots of bad news.

Our priest anointed her and gave her Communion... Because she is dear to me, I asked to say a short prayer too. Her son had just come in to be with her and he eventually walked us through the maze of corridors on our way out. He told us how serious her cancer is. I hope she will eventually be able to return home... but only God know if that will be possible.

Our next visit was to our elderly gentleman parishioner who had been admitted to the local VA hospital with a stroke. This hospital is garden style and it felt like we had to walk a mile through another maze of corridors before we arrived in the hospice section. Fortunately, a volunteer led us to our destination. Our parishioner was alone and either asleep or in a coma... the nurses could not give us any information about him since no family members were present. One of the nurses tried to arouse him but was not able. He may have been sedated... Anyway, our priest also tried to rouse him but I suggested that he simply anoint him and I left a note to his family that we had visited and that the priest had anointed him.

We finally returned to the rectory in time for our Wednesday evening Mass and I took over once again, the setting up that Minnie had always loved to do. I wonder if she will ever be able to return...

Heavenly Father, if it is your will, bring healing of mind, body and spirit to your daughter, Minnie and to your son, George.