Mission accomplished!

With my Janury 12 post, I set a goal to send my grandson, Aiden, a little piece of snail mail every month. Today, I'm proud to say "mission accomplished", at least for the month of January! It actually started with a thorough desk cleaning in my rather messy art classroom at school. I discovered a box of those random, unsolicited "gifts" sent from charitable organizations in the hopes of getting a donation to their cause in return. As luck would have it, I found 12 cards that each had different animals on the front and a blank space inside for a personal message.

I decided to start with the African Elephant. For some reason, Aiden has been fascinated by this animal ever since his first visit to the zoo last April. Lions and owls and dogs are interesting, and he loves checking out all the animals on the 3D Zoo for Toddlers iPad app, but it's those elephants that he goes back to time and again.

Aiden's other fascination is with trains, presently Thomas the Tank Engine and all his little "friends" on Sodor. After my Christmas visit, I had the words to "He's a Really Useful Engine" dancing in my head for several days after my return home, so of course I included a set of stickers that will let Aiden build a little train...hopefully somewhere that mommy says is ok for the home decor!

 

The other day, Tara told me that Aiden loved getting his own mail, so I'm happy to say that it's "mission accomplished", at least for January!

 

That's the way the cookie crumbles...

Did your parents or grandparents ever say that to you when things weren't going quite your way? Mine sure did! I was thinking about that today while sipping herbal tea with mom after Saturday afternoon Mass at St. Leonard's, the church at the retirement community that she now calls home. We were talking about this coming summer and our biennial family reunion, a gathering of siblings, our children, and now our grandchildren. The conversation included her wondering how many of us would be able to make it to the Tennessee lake this year, something that has become much more challenging as our family has grown and our children have grown up to have children of their own.

 

Edgar Evins State Park at Center Hill Lake, TN



I must say that I am one of the fortunate ones, at least as far as summer planning goes. Most of my career has been spent at the local Catholic school, first as a fifth grade classroom teacher, then an assistant principal, and now as an art teacher. I won't have any trouble setting aside a week in July to spend with my extended family, unlike my daughter and son-in-law and some of my siblings and their families who work at year-round jobs.

And yet, I still find myself longing for more time...time to cook a meal for my husband...and actually savor eating it...time to spend with my two grandsons...time to travel with friends who are now retired...time to finish all the unfinished artwork in my cluttered spare bedroom...time to read all the books on my "must read" list...time to just "be", sitting on my back deck in summer or taking a walk in the park on a sunny late morning in October.





I know that I am not alone with my feeling that time is all too quickly passing me by. After all, I'm a member of the Baby Boomer generation and there are quite a few of my fellow Boomers who are just like me. We've raised our children and now have grandchildren. We're closing in on retirement age, but aren't there yet. We aren't always so sure that we'll be able to afford retirement even when we do reach that magic number. And so we wait...for leisurely meals...precious grandchildren...distant places...creative endeavors...opened pages...sunshine...and time.

And that, dear reader, is how the cookie crumbles.

What about faith?

About a week ago, I responded to a Facebook post by Mitt Romney to join in a Day to Pray on Sunday, January 20. I said I would do that, along with thousands of others who responded similarly. Yesterday, before Mass began, I found myself thinking about all the reasons we come together in community to worship and pray. As a lector that day, I led the Prayer of the Faithful, reading the community prayer requests for our church, state, and national leaders, for those in need emotionally, spiritually, and physically, and for families, especially parents. These prayers always conclude with a prayer for those who have gone on from this life and the loved ones who have been left here in this life.

Lots to think about on a January day...less than two weeks from the day three years ago when I said good-bye to my beloved father...on a national Day to Pray...the day before the inauguration of the President of the United States...the week that holds the 40th anniversary of the passing of the controversial Roe vs Wade...lots to think about...









The three words I have always associated with my Dad are Faith, Family, and Friends. My siblings and I used those words in his eulogy because they summed up everything that our father held dear in his own life. His faith in the Lord gave him the strength and wisdom to be the leader of our rambunctious family of eight children, a leader in his career and church life, and a friend to everyone he ever met. He prayed and read scripture every day, even on vacation. We'll never know exactly what or whom he prayed for, but I am certain it was not only for all those he loved so deeply, but also that more people would come to know and follow the Lord as he did. That, to me, is the definition of faith.

As grandparents, we cannot always be there for our children as they raise their children. We may live too far away to offer to babysit so mom and dad can have a date night or just go to the grocery without taking the little ones. We may not be able to offer financial assistance when money is tight because it is tight for us as well. What we can do is pray and offer words of encouragement, support, and advice. So today, take a few minutes to pray for your own children and grandchildren, then pray for the children and grandchildren who have no one to pray for them, because you are truly blessed.

You've Got Mail!

Remember that movie with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? One of my all time favorites! The mail in that movie was email via AOL, which by today's tech standards seems almost antiquated. Now, we attempt to keep in touch with texts, tweets, blogs, and Facebook posts...all well and good, but somehow not all that personal.
                                         
What about good, old-fashioned snail mail? Remember that? One took out a nice pen and some pretty stationery, took the time to write out the words, folded the stationery and put it in a matching envelope, added a stamp, and took it to the post office...or placed it in the mailbox and pushed up the little red flag that let the mailman know there was something to pick up. 

                               
Quaint, right? Now, all I find in my mailbox by the road is usually junk mail advertising a local real estate firm, law firm, or politician running for office. Even bills no longer arrive by post; I find those in my email, or at least a reminder to go to the website to pay up by the due date. The past few years, even Christmas cards, the last hold out of the pen and paper era, are on the decline. And those that do arrive have a brief signature, nothing more personal than that, with the exception of one or two rare folks who still include a Christmas newsletter. Of course, I'm guilty, too! My cards may be pretty and spiritually relevant - they must say "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays" - but they still just have a quick signature from me and my husband, Bruce.

Now think about this from a child's point of view. Remember the pleasure of going to the mailbox and finding an envelope with YOUR name on it? Knowing that it might contain some special words from the favorite auntie or uncle, or better yet, Grandma or Grandpa? That along with the words might be some simple treasure to remind you of how much they loved you and wanted to spend time with you, even if it was long-distance time?
                                       
I remember visiting with Aiden over the summer and seeing how excited he got when the mailman parked his mail truck on the block and began walking house to house to leave those magical envelopes in the mail boxes by the front door. I decided then to try to find time to send Aiden some mail of his own, but after a time or two found myself right back to emailing, texting, and phoning his mommy for the news.

So this year, my first resolution is to find one reason each month to send Aiden his own mail, real mail, snail mail. It doesn't have to be expensive or even bought at the store. I have a collection of those unsolicited cards sent by various charitable organizations in the hopes that I will send back a donation (not likely, except for St. Jude...I like that one!). Perhaps one of those, or a drawing or note made with the many papers and stamps I use as a crafter. The only cost will be the cost of a stamp...and a few minutes of my time...and an occasional sheet of the stickers that Aiden loves to put all over his clothing, hands, and anywhere else they might stick! Maybe a photograph taken during the times we do get to spend together, or one of me and Papa just to let him know we are thinking about him.

                                      
I'll still text, call, and email Aiden's mommy for the news and updates...and I hope there is a lot of iPad face time in the coming weeks and months...but for just a few minutes each month, I want Aiden to know that Mimi and Papa are thinking about him in a special way

New year...new focus

It's taken over a year, but I believe I have finally found a focus for blogging in 2013. While visiting with my two grandsons for the Christmas holiday, I realized how short my time with them is and how quickly they are growing and changing. When I started this blog almost two years ago, Aiden was a wee babe who just happens to live almost 500 miles from me and his Papa. Just the other day, it struck me that he is now almost three years old and little brother, Jackson, is the wee babe in my arms.
So last night I resolved to start a journey to explore and share creative ways for all of us long-distance  grandparents to stay close the the little ones we love so much. Of course, not ones to start small, Papa and I decided that the perfect family gift for Tara and Matt would be an iPad. We have web cams on both ends, but it's not easy to get a lively toddler to sit in front of a computer to chat with us, so why not make the visit mobile?
On New Year's Day, Aiden was able to "face time" with his great grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins  in Ohio...such fun! An iPad is definitely a gift that will keep on giving all year!!