Welcome Welcome WELCOME!! I think we need to order more pews, and a couple of perches. I see a couple of parrots out there today.
Every Sunday we make a point of turning to our neighbors and wagging our tails as a sign of peace. Today I want to talk about showing signs of peace, love and friendship whenever we get an opportunity.
We went to MaryElizabeth's Dad's Memorial Mass on Friday morning. It was a solemn reminder of how unpredictable and fragile life is. We met Patti and Richard there - Eleanor's mom and dad. I have to say that they are just the nicest people, and Richard looks absolutely wonderful. He has twinkly eyes, and they both have the warmest smiles.
The church hall was packed with friends and family. FORTY-TWO of the people attending, I was told, were family and I know that's just those who made it to the West Coast to pay their respects. There was easily over a hundred people there...and two Yorkettes (who were both amazingly well behaved) – me and AthenaMaria Dugmore.
MaryElizabeth's nephew Zach (Zak? Zac?) created an absolutely beautiful montage of photographs tracing Bill's life from when he was a young man in the service, through his wedding, children, anniversaries.....all those important moments.....and we couldn't take our eyes away. Funerals are a celebration of life, and a reminder to us all that we are only on loan to each other for a brief moment in time. We all really belong to God.
Mom wept, laughed, smiled and hugged and for a couple of hours, feeling as if we were part of this wonderful loving family. They are all truly blessed to have each other. Mom then decided to and contact the members of our immediate family for positively no reason other than to say "I love you!". Who knows if those will be the last words she says to them?
She called two of her three brothers as she said she was going to do. The youngest one still had a message on his voice mail from last Tuesday. She left him a message saying that she just called to say she loved him. That should freak him out.
Then she called her other brother, the oldest of the three, and he immediately wanted to know what was wrong with her...or did she know something about him that she wasn't telling him about. "Nope...I just called to say I love you, because you never know if those will be the last words you say to someone!". And he started talking...and they actually had a conversation. He NEVER has a conversation. He's very cerebral and is a professor and ...well, he just doesn't talk much. Finally, his dinner was ready and he said he had to go. Before he hung up he said "I love you very much, too!". It made Mom a little tearful as neither of us remember hearing that before.
I'm glad she called them. The third brother, the middle one, has been sick and she’s been talking to him for the past few weeks on and off. She told him she loved him, too, a couple of days ago. He thought we should say that to each other more than once a year. I agree with him.
And finally, we got a nice email from my Aunt Jackie in response to our voice mail message to Mom’s youngest brother.. She and Mom talked a long time today and caught up on stuff, and when they were ready to hang up they both said “I love you!”.
All it takes is one person to smile and other people smile back. And it takes one person to say “I love you!” and pretty soon, every one else is saying it too. And it becomes easier and easier to say each time.
Now….turn to your neighbors and wag your tails as a sign of peace and friendship. We do this every Sunday and it’s becoming a habit. When you leave chapel, wherever you go……muster up the biggest smile you can and flash it to everyone you see. Your goal is to get them to smile back, and your hope is that they will pass that on to someone else.
On your way out, please help yourself to some Pupperoni rolls and Cheez-its. The scouts are away on a camp out and the Kindergarten pups are assisting in the pre-school class this morning. The Ladies of the Leather Collar and the Knights of Pawlumbus are away on retreat, so we just put out some snacks and you're all on the honor system today.
Blessings to you all
Mary-Margaret O'Brien
Chaplain
Yorkie Brigade Chapel
"From a Yorkie's lips to God's ear"
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