I try to attend daily Mass 2-3 times a week. L and I go downtown to Sacred Heart because it's at a convenient time (12:05pm) and because the church is gorgeous. No matter where I or L look we see beauty and images of holy men and women. It's hard to not think of God and godly things when your eyes can't escape them!
Last week there were a lot of struggles for going to Mass: getting out of the house; finding parking; keeping L in the pew; keeping L away from the people trying to pay attention while she's trying to show them her book or shoe; keeping L from squealing during the consecration or the Gospel, etc. All those things add up and stress me out. I feel embarrassed that my kid just threw her book two pews back and even more embarrassed that I'm clearly upset with her.
This week I decided to give the other daily Mass attendees a break from my daughter and I and waited until today to go. And when we got there the woman who picked up the aforementioned thrown book came up to us quickly and gave L a rosary in a little white purse. She said she loves watching L at Mass and gets a lot of enjoyment from her. She said she hopes when L's older I'll have the rosary blessed and give it to my daughter.
I felt so humbled by her generosity and thoughtfulness. I felt so grateful for her appreciation of my toddler. Such a little gesture that meant so much to me today!
Beautiful. I'm glad that woman is at mass when you are there with Lydia and that you were encouraged by her gift and words. It was so thoughtful of her to reach out to you like that. Maybe she, too, was once the mother of a little one and saw in you the familiarness of the stage of life you are in. Every mom who's been there knows and understands.
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