Tornadoes and Peace

With the rash of tornadoes happening recently, our hearts and prayers go out to the many who not only lost their homes, but their lives. We have always kept our children from watching the nightly news, as so many 'news worthy' stories, I fear, would give too many nightmares to my little ones. At times, even for myself, watching the news can keep me up at night, frantically imagining what I'd do as a mother if I found myself in one of the many news stories I've seen over the years.

And I get it. News agencies have a way to keep us coming back for more. Stay tuned for the latest on this court case, or weather pattern or developments in a particular story. We can't miss it! It's how they generate their revenue, that we keep coming back, to watch the many commercials interspersed with 'real' news. I get it. I don't like it. After watching news show after news show, I find myself joining in the panic that surrounds their voices, their story telling, their own compelling news.

I do think it's important to know what's going on, but there has to be some kind of balance. I find that I take news information much better if I read it, whether a newspaper or online. I find the information that I need to know for my family's sake, mostly without needing to use my clicker to find news. I found a certain peace this way. How I was frustrated at the news agencies for stealing my peace, and so often!

Some stories are simply unnecessary, some frustrating, some infuriating and others heartbreaking. To see the footage of natural disasters is difficult to watch, to imagine scores of people frantic, hopeless, alone, hurt or buried under the rubble that was their home. In a sense we need to see people's heartache in order to keep our compassion alive, our empathy ready in order to act.

Overall, we must find balance. Over the weekend our pastor gave us a homily that I wanted to literally stand up and clap for. He insisted that Christ in the Eucharist gives us Peace, and we are meant to be Ambassadors of that Peace for others. We must allow Christ to work, we must get out of the way, and allow that Peace to find us, to keep us, and to help others. If we lose it, (it being Christ's Peace or our calm), we only contribute to the frantic-ness, the confusion and the inability to find solution.

Now, this is not new information. But in light of the recent disasters, it makes all the sense in the world right now. I watched a YouTube video (I'll link it, if I find it again)...where a group of people were enduring a tornado in the back of a grocery store. Right when the tornado was on top of them, they rushed to a walk in cooler for safety.

There was no visual, really to speak of, only audio. And.   It was disturbing to listen to. You hear the franticness of men and women and yes, children. You hear calm voices as well, seemingly to bring the Peace of Christ to a chaotic, potentially fatal situation. The calm voices were directing people to safety. And as a listener, in the safety and security of my own home, I had a sense God was there, with them...through those calm individuals who in all seriousness, can be called Heroes.

We, as mothers, can lose it from time to time. I call it "Ugly Mom", and I've been there. With five kids, trust me, I've been there.  I work meticulously to keep it under wraps. Sometimes I manage it. Sometimes I don't. I can see myself in swirls of tornadic activity in my very own kitchen, when life is out of sorts and I just can't hear, "Mommy" one.   More. Time.

Mom to Mom, we too can be those kind of heroes, when an uncontrollable rush of wind is about to knock us over. We're about to lose it. In those moments, especially in those precious few moments, take a deep breath, step back, into another room, step outside. Say a Hail Mary, and fervently beg for Christ's Eucharistic Peace to calm your mind and spirit. I do it myself.   It's a wonder like no other. He's there for us in our strongest and weakest moments. When chaos abounds, He's there, waiting for us to use the gift of His Peace, sometimes, we just have to get out of the way.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu Nihon - Thank You Japan

First, I apologize. It's almost been a week since my last post, and life certainly has a way to take me over. Arigato Gozaimasu - Thank You We have many commitments, many places where we have promised our time and energy, and when sickness sets in for me or anyone in our home, life pretty much stops....for little while anyway. Thankfully, the illnesses are down to minor colds, and as of yesterday, I am off the meds to treat a sinus infection. But that's not all. It's re-enrollment time at school, and every March we face the same uncertain future in debate...Can we swing yet another year's worth of financial commitment to our Catholic school, for four children. It's a stressful time, it's uncertain, and I have to say, that security is something I thrive on. Any insecurity, and I tell you, life just isn't right. With the children unaware of our finessing the budget, we work to keep that calm and peace that assures the children all wil...

Words Can Hurt

When we first started having children, like most people, we realized quickly how they often work as a mirror to our own actions. Letting a swear word slip here or there was not uncommon in our home, yet, when our first child was about 18 months or so, and hearing my swear word echo in the house for several days from her little lips, well, it was enough to curb my speech, dramatically. And now, swear words are never spoken in front of the children, and we have adopted a few more words that are unacceptable in the house, even though common place in the world. Just another example at how, as parents, we truly are the domestic church. The world may be on the path of negativity, but the home is where we make the difference. My four year old the other day, said, "I hate tomatoes!" Not the worst thing to hear from her mouth, granted, however, the word 'hate' bothers me a lot. 'Hate' is a very strong word, opposite of 'Love'. Think of how strong that word, ...

Little Guys and Big Things

Sometimes, Veggie Tales stick with you. Even when an 8 year old seems too old for Veggie Tale stories, and reluctantly watches a few, the messages do stick. Over the weekend, my Knight was to serve Mass. For the past few Sundays he has been serving, and we keep reminding him of the various ways to show reverence while doing his duties.....a bow to the tabernacle, folding of the hands and so forth. Sunday, I happened to be watching Knight lather his gel in his hair to ready for Mass, and I once again, reminded him to keep his reverent ways about him while serving. He made a distinct face at me, and said, "Ugh, Mom, those other server boys are bigger than me. I don't want to do something they aren't doing." "I understand, but you could set the example, because you know, what you are doing is the right thing." He shook his head, looked at himself in the mirror, and seeing his own image reflected, said again, "I'm the youngest one there, Mom...

S.tay A.t H.ome M.om at Work

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