“Time is standing still, but we are running away from it and complaining that time is slipping away from us.” ― Debasish Mridha
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A good week, visiting with friends and spending time with the four-legged kind of friends at the Krewe of Barkus Parade. Time never stands still, but I’m still standing. Well I’m not actually standing. I’m always running around doing something,
A week in a peek.
A friend is one of the nicest things you can have, and one of the best things you can be. ~Douglas Pagels
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Wow! That’s a lot of alliteration, isn’t it? Monday morning… Lots of m’s. Yesterday, while greeting before Mass, Mary and I agreed that we needed to get together sometime for coffee and conversation. It’s hard to talk in between all the “Good morning. How are you? Nice day.” We agreed on Monday morning.
Mary is one of those sweet, soft spoken, behind the scenes boundless bundles of energy. We met last year at church one morning before Mass. We had volunteered to greet at the door, and we immediately became good friends. During our brief half hour chats at the front door of St. Gabriel’s, we shared snippets of friends, families, hopes, dreams, joys, and sorrows. It’s amazing how much you can learn about someone in just a few minutes on a Sunday morning. After a few weeks of small talk and pleasantries at the door, I shared the story of my divorce and healing process. We’ve met for coffee a few times and have had great conversations. That’s when I found out why I was meant to meet Mary.
One of the many avenues that Mary generously shares with her community is being an advocate for Catholics going through the annulment process. It can be a confusing and tedious venture. Mary is helping me as I start with the mounds of paperwork. I’m a firm believer in God putting people in our path for a reason. Mary has literally been a God-send to me.
This morning, we agreed to meet at McDonald’s at 9:30. Here’s a cute story. So, I got out of my car and started walking towards the door just as Mary was doing the same. I opened my arms from a distance and said loudly, “Good morning Miss Mary!” Then we hugged, just like we do at church. A lady about our age was walking out of McDonalds and giggled as Mary and I hugged like school girls in the parking lot. I walked over to this stranger with open arms, smiled and said, “Good morning,” and gave her a big hug. She smiled, hugged me back and said, “I needed that today! Thanks.” Then, she walked over to her car and drove away.
Hmm? You never know how you can influence someone with just a smile or a hug or a kind word. It doesn’t cost a thing. “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.”
Here are a few pictures of me and Mary.
Here we are, “dishing the dirt,” literally, at the ground breaking ceremony at church a few weeks back.
I have been blessed with the greatest friends, old ones and new ones. God puts many wonderful people in our path. We get to choose which paths to take.
A week in a peek…
“So when you’re cold
From the inside out
And don’t know what to do,
Remember love and friendship,
And warmth will come to you.”
― Stephen Cosgrove, Gnome from Nome
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It’s unusually cold here in north Texas. The Sunday night forecast for Monday was bleak and scary. School and municipal closings for Monday flashed on the TV during the Oscars.
So, this morning, when I heard the sleet pelting at my window panes, I pulled up the covers, rolled over and stayed in bed till noon. No walk, no Zumba, no plans, no nothin’. McKinney was closed for the day. The forecast looks the same for tomorrow. Yikes!
Here’s my week in a peek.
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
― Ansel Adams
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Another week, another peek into my ordinary world.
No matter how ordinary or mundane, my camera captures spectacular skies, fabulous friends, and fun local activities.
“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
― Ansel Adams
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“Keep your best wishes, close to your heart and watch what happens”
― Tony DeLiso, Legacy: The Power Within
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A simple montage of the weeks’s events. If it were that easy, to capture seven days, twenty-four hours in each day, in one moment. I always try to catch the highlights, but so much to share, so little time. This will have to do.
Toni Andrukaitis 