Hanging by a thread

We survived the weekend...barely. I swear, if it weren't for my in-laws on Saturday, I would have collapsed in a sobbing heap somewhere around mid-afternoon. They were a HUGE help with Olivia, whose need for constant distraction was hard for me to maintain after the exhausting week I'd had.

Olivia did AMAZINGLY well during the ordination Mass. She lasted in the main church for about an hour, and then we retired to the cry room where she stood on the kneeler and pointed out the window at "da Bishap" and noticed that he was sitting next to "GRAMPY!" She stayed in our pew in the cry room and did not run crazily around the room trying to find a way to cause trouble, and I wondered how I managed to get so lucky with her behavior.

Even so, the combination of a 2.5 hour Mass, reception, and afternoon of parties was enough to run me down. Olivia napped in small car-induced portions, and she got quite slap-happy by the end of the day. But she fell asleep on the way home and slept all night, which is the important thing.

I was so happy to see my husband arrive home yesterday. Aside from the obvious joy at having another adult in the house to help distract the child, I am always relieved to see him home from a car trip. Other events from this weekend drove that point home...

One of the new deacons and his wife relayed some sad information yesterday. A friend of theirs was killed in a tragic car accident on Saturday...on the way to the ordination. My husband made a comment...our lives hang by a thread, and we have no way of knowing how many tomorrows we have. My husband was on the road all day yesterday. He's home safely. I know what a blessing that is.

St. Benedict wrote in his rule that one should "keep death daily before your eyes." I don't think we do that so well. We are always looking forward...especially with little kids. Oh, soon they will walk/talk/run/read. We plan for their schooling, our vacation, where we are going to spend Christmas. For today, at least, I am grateful for the here and now, knowing that it could be gone in a minute. I'm praying today for families who are missing a member. I cannot imagine how difficult that would be.

That's what's on my mind.