Wet and Windy

This is what happens when you mix too much water with too much wind. Poor guy was innocently enjoying a cup of coffee in Starbucks. Hopefully he has insurance....

Requiem eternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua ei...

Anton,
I did not know you well, but the few times I had the pleasure of spending with you, I appreciated your zest for life and inquisitive mind. You made me stop and think twice, more than once. When you attempted something, you gave it your all, embracing and enjoying the moments God gave you in your life. You always made the day brighter, bringing joy to your friends' lives. Your smile brought sunshine, your wonderful attitude was infectious....

You are greatly loved and will be missed by many.

The ABCs of Gratitude

The ABCs of Gratitude.

A - I am thankful for my anger. That may seem strange but it makes me aware that something is wrong and needs to be dealt with.

B - I am thankful for being. I am so grateful to be alive, to have so many amazing experiences in my life which fuel who I am.

C - I am thankful for my crosses, even though I don't always make good use of them. They remind me of the One who helps me carry them. They help me love a little better and a little more.

D - I am thankful for my dad, for all the love and support he has given me throughout the years. I am thankful for every moment I get to spend with him although they are fewer nowadays.

E - I am thankful for energy. I don't always have enough of it but, boy, am I glad when it is present in my system! Especially to fuel me on long runs....

F - I am thankful for friends. I have so many wonderful people in my life who give me constant support and fill me with joy and laughter. They rejoice with me in beautiful moments and see me through the worst of times.

G - I am thankful for God. He is the reason I am here and that I can write this list of gratitude.

H - I am thankful for my hands. They allow the ability to create, to explore, to love....

I - I am thankful for ice. What would I do without you to ease those aching muscles??

J - I am thankful for St. Josemaria Escriva. He has been a great companion and source of inspiration through many trying times in my life. I can always count on this heavenly friend.

K - I am thankful for kindness. So much has been shown to me these past few months especially during some really rough times. I am so grateful for this.

L - I am thankful for love. It is the greatest paradox: it gives the most pleasure and the most pain.

M - I am thankful for music. It lifts my spirit. It courses through my Welsh veins.

N - I am thankful for naps. I hated them when I was young; wish I could incorporate them into my day now that I am older.

O - I am thankful for the ocean. There is nothing in this world more peaceful and pleasant than a day beside the ocean.

P - I am thankful for peanut butter. I eat this by the spoonful right out of the jar and will smear it on just about anything that would make a good vehicle for it to make it into my mouth.

Q - I am thankful for the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Mary will never abandon me.

R - I am thankful for rollerskating. Just recently re-discovered the joy of this fun, fast-paced recreation from my childhood days thanks to my roommates.

S - I am thankful for smiles. They truly brighten my day and are quite contagious.

T - I am thankful for tea time. It is a tradition that I never want to break.

U - I am thankful for the undoing of knots. Which is precisely what Our Lady is doing in my life right now..... Or those in my back. Anyone know a good masseuse?

V - I am thankful for vin(o). French or Italian. And other kinds. Really, I don't discriminate.

W - I am thankful for water. Seriously, I drink so much of this stuff throughout the day; I would be in a bad way without it.

X - I am thankful for xerox machines. Otherwise I would have to write or type out those pages BY HAND a gazillion times. No thank you.

Y - I am thankful for youth. My own and those who live in those hopeful years or those, at least, who live in that spirit.

Z - I am thankful for Zumba? Haven't done it yet, but I know anything that has to do with dancing always suits my fancy. ;)

Oh St. Joseph, whose protection is so great, so strong, so prompt, before the throne of God,

I place in you all my interests and desires.

Oh St. Joseph, do assist me by your powerful intercession,

and obtain for me from your Divine Son all spiritual blessings through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

So that having engaged here below your heavenly power,

I may offer my thanksgiving and homage to the most Loving of Fathers.

Oh, St. Joseph, I never weary of contemplating you and Jesus asleep in your arms;

I dare not approach while he reposes near your heart.

Press Him in my name and kiss His fine head for me

and ask Him to return the kiss when I draw my dying breath.

St. Joseph, patron of departed souls -- pray for me. Amen.

Remembering in a special way the Mason family and all the men in my life on this feast of St. Joseph....

I patiently await the day that the love in my heart is aligned once again with my emotions and mind. Someone I love very much has wounded me deeply and I am caught in the turmoil of sadness, anger, bitterness, longing, loneliness, yearning, regret.... I have never been in such a dark tornado of feelings before and am seeking the way to rise into the light once again. I am trying to throw off all expectations and sit in the loving arms of our Father, for I know, even though I don't feel it, that He knows what is best for me and will lead me to the path that I seek. In the words of Mother Teresa, "....I trust Him blindly in spite of all feelings."

At times, I seek for someone to blame but there is no one. It is the work of providence, a series of events, that have lead me to this place. I try to embrace the cross and walk valiantly forward, although I feel very little courage. Only the One who has walked this road of Calvary before can give me all the strength I need for this journey. For He has seen and felt all these emotions, all this hurt, all this betrayal, all this pain, in His Own Heart, and was moved by the Father's will to complete the task that lay before Him. I find my hope and confidence in Him.

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.

~August Wilson