Tag Archives: Sunday

Imaginary – Relaxing Weekends Are

Posted on October 20, 2013 | Leave a comment

 

Courtesy George Lucas, LucasFilms, Disney, Frank Oz, etc.

Courtesy George Lucas, LucasFilms, Disney, Frank Oz, etc.

I remember once believing that weekends were a time to relax, unwind and recover from the work week.  I’m convinced that such an impression was induced by side effects of one of the many medications I’ve been on over the years.

So I began to think back on my younger years –

In high school, weekends were spent working on Saturday, staying up w-a-a-y too late on Saturday, and hanging out with friends on Sunday.

As a young adult, after working all week at the hospital, I’d spend Saturday shooting wedding pictures and Sunday taking call at the hospital.

For most of 30 years, one weekend a month was spent on Navy Reserve duty.

My eldest was born in 1975. My youngest children are teenagers. Needless to say, that affects weekends significantly.

With my teenagers, it was a soccer weekend. (All soccer! All the time!)

I’ve finally come to the realization that relaxing weekends are like Hogwarts, Vulcan Mind-Melds and Jedi Masters. They are great images, but don’t really exist.

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Real Daddies (and, of course) Mommies

Posted on August 18, 2013 | 1 comment

It’s Sunday morning and my daughter and I are in Fredericksburg, which Google Maps says is two and a half hours from home. With traffic jams, travel here was closer to four hours.

National Weather Service Wakefield, VA

National Weather Service Wakefield, VA

It’s soccer tournament time. My wife is with my son at his soccer tournament. Fortunately the total of the kids at home don’t outnumber the parents.

It’s pouring rain at both locations.

My son’s games for today have already been cancelled. We’re waiting to see what happens with my daughter. Rumor is that only one field (artificial turf) is available, so only the championship game will be played. They’re supposedly trying to figure out which teams will be playing.

Real mommies and daddies are there for their children.

At soccer.

In the rain.

Or at their concert, recital, science fair, other sports event or whatever.

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Posted in Arts, Blog, Communications, Culture, Education, Family, Friends, People, Philosophy, Science, Technology

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In Sickness and in Health

Posted on June 15, 2013 | 2 comments

SONY DSC

I haven’t written much this week because we’ve had a few medical issues around here. Three were planned, but there was at least one middle-of-the-night exciting surprise. The kids needed to get one last viral ailment before school let out and the dog showed that although he’s very lovable, he’s equally stupid. So five trips to various hospitals, including a veterinarian one, one to the doc-in-a-box, several to various doctors’ offices later, it’s now the weekend.

When I was younger, like most guys (I can’t speak for the female of the species) I saw love in terms of a commitment to “climb the highest mountains and swim the deepest seas.” Now that I’m older and have acquired s modicum of wisdom, I see things differently.

I made my marriage vows to my wife before God. However those vows grew to include not only the two of us but the whole family. “In sickness (and in health”) seems to be more aimed at the kids than each other. Likewise, “for richer or for poorer” – well let’s just say that much of our material wealth has been invested in our children.

“All my worldly goods with thee I share” – when I can’t find a tool, or that ten dollar bill that I had in my wallet, or the nail clippers, or whatever (and the list is impressive) it’s far more likely that one of the kids has borrowed/absconded/taken title to it than my wife.

But what a wonderful life. God, in his wisdom, has given me countless opportunities to share that I otherwise wouldn’t have had. He’s blessed me with a closeness such that if sharing is not completely effortless it is at least totally natural.

Fathers’ Day is tomorrow. Let’s first thank Our Heavenly Father on this day. (Isn’t it quite appropriate that both Mothers’ and Fathers’ days are on Sundays?)

Then, as a father, I want to thank Him for blessing me with my family.

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Posted in Celebrity, Communications, Culture, Family, Friends, Holidays, Media, People, Philosophy, Religion

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Buzzards & Swallows

Posted on March 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

BuzzardTShirtToday is the day that the swallows return to Capistrano. Every year, like clockwork, they arrive on the feast of St. Joseph – March 19th.

Yesterday was Buzzard Day in northeast Ohio. That is when the buzzards return to Hinckley, Ohio – just a bit south of Cleveland. Buzzard Day is the Sunday following March 15.

Isn’t it amazing that all these birds know the exact date and where they’re supposed to be? Especially the buzzards who know to wait until the Sunday following the date.

I’m not buying it.

We have multibillion dollar airlines with state of the art airplanes and a federally operated air traffic control system. We have GPS, radar and autopilots.

Do we hit our scheduled arrival times as accurately?

Not a chance.

Most of the time they can’t even get you and your luggage to the same place at the same time.

Of course, the buzzards and swallows don’t have to print out their boarding passes at home, arrive at the point of departure an hour ahead of rime, pay for each piece of checked luggage and be searched by security.

Maybe that’s why they can keep a schedule.

(and, no, I don’t know why the font isn’t consistent!)

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Posted in Arts, Business, Celebrity, Communications, Culture, History, Holidays, Humor, Media, People, Philosophy, Science, Technology, TSA

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What the Elder Son Teaches Us

Posted on March 11, 2013 | 2 comments

It was another soccer tournament weekend. It’s Monday and back to work, where at least the schedule is more predictable.

At least the games were spaced so I could catch church on Sunday.

Rembrandt van Rijn

Rembrandt van Rijn

The Gospel was the story of the Prodigal Son, which is often dissatisfying because it just doesn’t seem fair.

If the Prodigal Son story played out today, I’m sure there would be at least one lawsuit.

Our deacon gave the homily, and pointed out that the son who stayed home figured may not have merely been loyal and altruistic. The way he looked at it, he was taking care of his upcoming inheritance, so in effect, he was working for himself. Since he was focused on what he expected to get, he didn’t realize and appreciate all the things he had every day.

However, what he said next was what struck me. The deacon suggested that every night when the family gathers for dinner, we should start a litany of all the things we have to be thankful for. He suggested starting small, with such things as life, spouse, children. Each day add a couple of more things. By the end of Lent we may all realize just how blessed we are.

I thought it was a good enough idea that I should share it.

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Posted in Arts, Communications, Culture, Education, Family, Friends, Future, History, Holidays, People, Philosophy, Religion

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Pope Brouhaha

Posted on February 24, 2013 | 2 comments
Coat of ArmsPope Benedict XVI

Coat of Arms
Pope Benedict XVI

The news media has carried on in their usual way with regard to the retirement of the Pope. Headlines talked about it being “Shocking” and “Unbelievable.”

Say what?

First, when I’m 85, I hope I’m well experienced at being retired. Serving until death is a leftover from the days when the Monarch was expected to actively participate in combat and dodge assassination attempts. Life expectancy was much shorter.

The Catholic Church is like any large organization. Leaders come and leaders go. They tend to come from the same pool of candidates. I suspect that Fortune 500 CEOs reflect a lot of individuals with Harvard MBAs and who grew up thinking country clubs were a normal part of life.

I drive a Ford. I have no idea as to who is the current president of Ford, or who’s on their board of directors. It doesn’t affect me. To a large degree, the same is true of the Pope.

Large powerful organizations do both good and ill. With a two thousand year history, the Catholic Church has had more opportunities to experience errors, suffer from bad leadership, as well as do some good things. The bad stuff is more interesting to talk about.

Look at Catholics, as opposed to the Catholic Church organization and hierarchy. Like most other Christians we get up each morning, pray to do a good job, do some things right, screw up on others, ask forgiveness, and keep on going. Like other Christians we place our faith in Christ, along with our hope and love.

If the news media reported a month from now that the Catholic hierarchy had been unable to elect a Pope, it would not affect most Catholics. We’d still attend Mass Sunday mornings and try to live our faith on a daily basis.

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Posted in Business, Celebrity, Communications, Culture, Future, Government, History, Leadership, Management, Media, People, Philosophy, Politics, Religion

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Not So Guilty Feeling

Posted on January 6, 2013 | 2 comments

Sometimes on the weekend, I just want to kick back.  Problem is I’d feel guilty.

Today, I did pretty much that. I figure that if God wanted to rest after He finished creation, he was setting an example for all of us.

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So I puttered, played, and didn’t worry about what I’d accomplish.

Interestingly I accomplished a couple of the hobby type things that had been on my list forever, without even meaning to.

Makes you wonder how successful we’d be if we followed all His other examples.

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Posted in Culture, Philosophy, Religion, Uncategorized

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Advent

Posted on December 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

advent
(ˈædvɛnt, -vənt) an arrival or coming, esp one which is awaited [C12: from Latin adventus,  from advenīre , from ad-  to + venīre  to come]   –   World English Dictionary

Thanks to St. Paul's Episcopal ChurchChestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA

Thanks to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA

Advent is celebrated by many Christians as the time before Christmas, including the four Sundays preceding the holiday. In the Catholic Church not only is an Advent wreath used, which has 3 purple candles and one rose colored but also the priest’s vestments are of the same colors. The purple signifies preparation by prayer and fasting, and focuses on the fact that Jesus’ coming is a gift – not something for which we are worthy.

The third Sunday is called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “Rejoice” in Latin and was the first word of the entrance prayer which was formerly sung or read in Latin. For Gaudete Sunday, the priest’s vestments are rose*.

While Advent is encouraged as a time of reflection, prayer and good works, it is also a time of joy. These days, in a secular world, we’ve got the joy down pat, but sometimes seem to forget that we should prepare spiritually for Christmas as well.

Mankind looked forward to the arrival of a Savior for thousands of years. Of course, we expected a great leader in the political sense who would out-Moses Moses and out-David King David.

Jesus instead came as a common man. A common man with an important message. You don’t even have to be a believer to see the importance of His words, their wisdom and their goodness.

But those of us who are believers also know that the most important gift was that He renewed the full relationship between us and God. This was more important than any military victory.

So as you’re listening to Christmas music on the radio, trimming the tree or wrapping gifts, let it be your very soul that is feeling the joy.

* And invariably the priest points out at the beginning of Mass that “This color is ‘rose’ not ‘pink’.”


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