Miss you

Last week was Mrs. Uilkie’s birthday – March 23, but we didn’t have a party, we didn’t need to buy a gift or flowers.  She went to be with her Lord last October.  If you are a listener to our podcast, catholicfamilypodcast, you’ve heard us talk about Mrs. Uilkie.  We did a few simple things for her – drove her to Mass, took her bottles of water, gave her some of our latest homemade concoctions, and visited her as much as we could which wasn’t nearly enough.  She, on the other hand, did tremendous things for us.  She prayed the rosary daily for us, for many other people that she loved, and for some that she didn’t even know.  She watched EWTN constantly so that she could “attend” daily Mass, although she longed for the Eucharist on a daily basis as well.  We did Corporal Works of Mercy for her, but she provided Spiritual Works of Mercy for us.  I think we got the better end of the deal. … Continue Reading

Ten Things to Learn from Japan

A priest friend of mine in China sent me the following. The authorship was listed simply as “Sunita.”  I thought it was quite remarkable, especially when compared to what we usually see in the United States in times of natural disaster.

1. THE CALM – Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.
2. THE DIGNITY – Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.
3. THE ABILITY – The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.
4. THE GRACE – People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.
5. THE ORDER – No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.
6. THE SACRIFICE – Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid? … Continue Reading

Getting to Yes

The title of this article may have misled you. I’m not talking about the well known book Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. But rather, I want to talk a minute about saying ‘yes’ to your kids. When Kathryn was a little girl, one evening, she had finished her dinner and was asking for a second helping of ice cream for dessert.”No,” I said. “You’ve already had dessert.” Without hesitation, Allyson scooped up another small portion of ice cream into her bowl and gave me one of those looks – you know – a SWMBO look.  Later, I quizzed her. “Why did you give her more ice cream? She already had some.” “Simple,” she replied. “There was no reason to say ‘no.’ The time will come when they are gone, and then you’ll wish you had said ‘yes’ more often.” I was struck dumb. My whole life, I had grown up in a house that said ‘no’ quite a bit. Being told ‘no’ was part of growing up, being mature. In Catholic doctrine, we call it self-mortification and it’s very popular, especially during Lent. Here was a piece of family philosophy that I had never heard of and certainly never believed in. Could she be right? … Continue Reading