Highs and Lows

This week, as most weeks, had its ups and downs.  We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with our co-worker priests and nuns in the parish (most of which are Irish). Lunch, evening mass and onces (evening tea) was followed up with the culminating traditional sing-a-long. We should have been prepared, as all Columban gatherings end in sing-a-longs.  However, we weren't and so when we were asked to share a little North American culture through song, we stared blankly at each other and then embarrassingly replied that we had no culture.  An Irish nun present (who lived many years in the US) disagreed and then burst into "America the Beautiful," doubly shaming us as she new more than the standard first verse that we were familiar with.  We offered to blow everyone away with our national dance (the electric slide) but didn't get the excited anticipation we were hoping for.  So, we are now resolved to get cultured and learn some traditional songs.  So far, we have thought of "She'll be comin' round the mountain." Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

On the down side, a little six year old boy down the street from us was killed last Thursday. He was climbing up onto a counter to reach a glass on the top shelf and the shelving fell down onto him.  A serrated knife fell as well and sliced his neck at a critical spot. He lost a lot of blood and died on the way to the hospital.  David accompanied the priest to the family's house for the wake.  Anna stayed home with Joshua.  It was a hard thing to see such a young boy in a coffin and the family was obviously shaken up. The boy lived with his grandparents as both his parents were in jail for selling drugs. The priest went to visit the dad in jail and was impressed by the man's great faith. "I'm at peace," the father told him, "I know that my little boy is at home with his Father in Heaven. He's a little angel now and he will always be with me in my heart."