Why ME? This is a frequently asked question that we all ask in this life. My feeling is as I have matured in so many aspects in my life is that I now say WHY NOT ME ? Life is life and things happen randomly good or bad all the time to everyone.
I think that we need to live in the faith and knowledge that we are human and cannot control all things that happen to us. A few years back a wonderful friend of mine was ill with cancer and she told me why not me ? while in conversation with me. She was a very beautiful,bright and Holy women. She was originally from Italy and saint Padre Pio was her confessor. C was Very devoted to her faith and the Catholic church in so many ways. She was also a healing minister.God used her for great service to his people but more importantly she said yes and gave herself as a witness to his magnificence. She was a Fisher of men.
She was happily married and had 3 wonderful children and grandchildren too. She was another brick in my foundation and helped me to think and feel how I do in this moment of my life. She opened my life up to the story of St.Pio. She made her life account with him personally known and because she shared him with me. I too believe that he is with me and you all through our prayers too. So, remember to pray to him for assistance. Amen.
Saint Padre Pio There is so much info about him here . He was Just awesome.
On a personal note. Wednesday was my best personal day in 3 years.:)
I got up got ready and went off to see my primary care DR. The drive was great it was so nice out. It was just me,myself and I in the car so I could just drive and think.
I went into the Doctors office and had a great visit and spoke to my Doctor . He is a very nice person as well. And off I went to have a minor repair done on my newly acquired used car. 🙂
My next stop landed me in my father’s home and my dad was vacuuming. He was thrilled to see me and surprised to see me so soon. I had just seen him 3 days ago 🙂 We had a cup of coffee and talked for a while. It was great to be with him as always.
I went home and decided to do some stuff around the kitchen and my phone went off !
I was needed immediately to pick up my daughter from work. I had my first job in nearly 3 years !
So, I flew out and picked her up and because I still felt great I took her to get a few things she wanted at the store. It was my 1st truely normal day.
There is only one reason for my having a day like this. God’s grace and blessing in my life.
I woke up Monday morning a little later than I normally do. I am pushing myself daily because I desire myself to be the best than I can be. So, I am tired and sleep better. Everyone in my home was up and gone and you could hear a pin drop. I looked at the beautiful day outside and got into the shower. My mind was very peaceful and I quietly prayed as I got ready.
I was all set to go and I grabbed my cane. I was so happy to be driving and be able to go where I want to, when I want to. I was not disappointed. It was a beautiful day outside as I rolled along the road to visit my dad. The sky was perfectly blue, the Windows were open and the air was crisp and fresh.
Driving makes a handicapped person feel normal like everyone else.
A song came on the radio from the 70’s I was on cloud nine as I listened and felt so grateful to be in that moment. I felt younger and had wonderful memories of simpler times. I was going to spend my time with my dad and then along came the emotion. This emotional thought came to mind and a sadness filled my heart. I thought I wish I could have done this when my mom was sick and was failing 2 years ago. If you remember I could not go out a whole lot because of my medical condition I spoke to my mom a couple of times a day by phone during that time and I did get over there physically to sit with her when I could. She never complained and we all prayed together as a family when we were there at our family home.She was not afraid. She was too busy praying for me and emotionally supporting her whole family. She was showing us the way of the cross with such tender love.
THIS IS THE SONG THAT CAME ON WHILE I WAS DRIVING ALONG. IT WAS A GREAT MEMORY.
The big BUTT is that I wanted to be there physically with her, all the time.
The heart wants what the heart wants. No matter how much time I had with my mom it would never have been enough.
MY MOM WOULD SAY,
LOVE IS SELFISH, WE NEVER WANT TO LET OUR LOVED ONES GO.
AND
YOU LOVE BIG, YOU LOSE BIG!
SHE WAS RIGHT ON BOTH COUNTS.
She began to say this after the loss of her mom and dad.
I WILL SAY THIS HER PASSING IS SOMEHTING I ACCEPT BECAUSE JESUS PAID THE PRICE FOR HER TOO. SHE IS ENJOYING HER ETERNITY AWAITING AND WATCHING OVER HER FAMILY . AMEN
My mom a few years back attended one of her neighbors funerals and heard this song sung. She was so moved by it. I found it for her and she loved it. It is not sad it was a very moving and comforting gift to her. She believed the message of that song. My mom left to be with the Lord on a sunny afternoon. She was at peace and her faith in God allowed her that peace.
This is the beautiful song that I spoke of. For my mom.
Beautiful memories are always flooding back from my memory. Long forgotten about but they are being made new once again. I know that we all have them and they can be a real gift to us.
I thank God for my beautiful memories
For my nana F.
Swing on a star Bing Crosby
I think/know that we need to validate those that we love daily. My grandmother’s goodness was felt by my family when we were babies and throughout our lives. My grandmother was 100 percent Italian And was a wonderful cook. She used to make homemade tortellini amongst other things. What I wouldn’t give for a bowl of that again.
My grandmother use to watch us when we were out of school sick. With 5 kids my mom always had one of us home sick and would have to miss work so her mom would fill in.
The memories will forever be stuck in my mind of my grandmother. I would get dropped off at her and my papa’ s home and she got an assessment of my ailment always with a little twist of your not too sick are you. 🙂 LOL
I could have screamed ,she knew I was pretty okay. But, I professed illess so I was now her patient. She was a tough nurse too. LOL
She would march me into the living room and onto the couch I would lay down and that’s where I stayed no tv either. 😦 Anytime I thought about getting up, she arrived or I would hear my grandfather come in from his yard work and say how’s Danny? She would say good I think he just needed a day off.LOL My grandfather would come in and say hey Dan how are you feeling ? Your grandmother has our lunch ready c’mon let’s go eat.
My grandmother also had two beautiful candy dishes on top of her dining room buffet that called to me while I was horizontal on her sofa.
So, in the kitchen I would go and my grandfather was sitting there waiting for nana to sit down. We said Grace and thanked God for our food and we had a bowl of soup and a sandwich. I remember tomato soup. It was not my favorite but you ate what you were given. Her sandwiches were always good. She made awesome egg salad and Italian Tonno tuna packed in oil.
An interesting little note. I never really cared or craved tomato soup. When I was very sick about 3 years ago one food that I was craving was tomato soup and crackers. So, I often wonder why? Was it a comfort food because of my childhood memory? I don’t know but I am glad for the reminder of my grandparents. Their memory is healing to me too.
She had a pantry and after lunch she would say go in and you can get a cookie, pick out what you want 🙂 I did not grab 10 either ! A couple would do. Plus she was watching! 🙂
These are memories that never can be taken from me because they were good people who loved their family and their God they loved me. During my sickest days even with cancer I have not felt disappear. I felt them with me still, they are here with me in a very special way. If value is based on love alone then I am the richest guy in the world.
Like I say look at who is in your life now and say I love you in anyway that you can. Amen.
My grandparents loved music my grandfather loved Irish Music and sang it too. MY Grand parents were not old foggies. They were current and understood their times.They were current because they needed to understand what their grandchildren were facing in their culture. My Nana and Papa F were full of life and love. They new what they stood for and watched out for us all. God was the leader of their band. My grandfather lived what he preached and practiced it too. Nana had Powerful faith and was devoted to Jesus Christ and our Blessed Mother. She also loved the infant of Prague.
My grandmother’s birthday is St. Patrick’s Day.
My grandfather like I said was very Irish and married his Italian sweetheart who birthday was March 17th, so he called her Rosie when he would tease her. They both loved this song too:)
For Nana and Papa and all the grandparents everywhere !:)
My grandfather was very funny,he was a little fresh and my grandmother was very proper. It was funny to see him goat her and she reacted every time. She doth protest but really loved it and always laughed. That’s what you call the magic. They adored each other.
The funny thing is that I have seen my parents do the same thing and yes I too tease my beautiful wife. It’s usually just done with my family around.Everyone will roar with laughter including my wife. And if I feel very comfortable, I do it with friends around too. Back a few months ago my wife and I had company in and my wife whipped up dinner. It was so funny being the joker that I can be when my wife was in the kitchen I would snap my fingers and have her bringing me stuff. One of the girls thought it was terrible and asked if I treated her that way all the time .Lol. She went into the kitchen to talk to my wife and I heard my wife laugh out loud and tell her he’s just teasing me, he is a brat. We still laugh at that event to this day. My wife is my #1 most important friend on this Earth. She has been my personal everything for over 30 years. I drive her crazy and she loves it. That’s our magic.
God bless you all.
God bless all of my grandparents , my mom and my son Brad who are with the Lord watching over us. Amen.
I have had many dreams but one that has been reoccurring is I dream of running. I was at physical therapy today and was sharing out of the clear blue that I have been remembering in my dreams all the running I did as a kid and young adult. I can remember running,jogging at a young age and doing aerobics. Running up stairs taking 2 or 3 steps at a time.
I have lofty expectations of where I need to go and where God is leading me.
My therapy is taking my body slowly but surely to a place I hunger to get to. I want to get to and I need to get to. There is a horizon ahead that is just out of sight that I need to reach.
Fly like an eagle Steve Miller band
I see it in my minds eye so, with the grace of God I will fight my way to reach that goal and vision.
It feels good to be out and about in the car and very shortly I will be able to walk outside and build muscle, burn calories expand my lung compacity, and build my stamina and endurance. I find now that the energy to get to the car and to do a short errand leaves me exhausted.
So, I have every intention when the snow and ice are gone to walk the track.I feel that the only way to build up my strength in my estimation is to PUSH. I need to force my body to rise to the occasion. I am healthy aside from my recovery from a cancer that I have never accepted or owned. I yearn to be out of breath, to feel my heart beating and feel my lungs expand with the air that surrounds me. I have decided that this time around my 2nd chance at life that I will put myself into the equation of my life and show my family that we can love and do for others but we also need to do for ourselves too. Our bodies,minds,souls and lives are sacred to God. We are wonderfully made. Amen.
Nothing but blue skies do I see ! 🙂
So if I can say one thing today I will say this, be positive, laugh, and believe that yes, tough times happen in our lives but expect and trust that God’s always got bigger and better things coming along the road of life that we need.
It may take me a very long while perhaps to achieve or even approach my goal but that is just the journey that I have to face just as you have to face yours too.
We are all on an amazing life journey experiencing and growing along the way. My wish for you and I is this, TO look at each day and THINK…….
I heard this particular teaching on EWTN ON Tuesday afternoon.
I thought it was good and it would be great for Lent too.
Truer words cannot be spoken listen to the short teaching of FATHER CLIFFORD.
We are living this everyday. Amen. What joy and peace this gives me and it should give you too.
Well today was my first day with the ability to just go so I had a really excellent adventure this morning.
I sprang out of bed with a song in my heart as my mom used to say. And the song in my mind was freedom. I dropped my daughter at her job, and then headed to my dad’s house to surprise him. He was surprised and thankfully was happy to see me.LOL MY DAD is 87 and was changing his window treatments to freshen them up. He is such an amazing man. So kind. But strong. A Marine through and through. Love, love, love him.
From there I headed home and thought to myself I am going to the chapel for adoration and to pray. So you were all prayed for your needs.
So don’t be thinking that nothing good happened to you today, because you all received the gift of prayers. 🙂
I left the chapel and as I walked down the walkway all by my onesies I said to my self dang my old geloppy is looking rather sloppy. Lol. So, off I went to the car wash and when I got there I was sitting in my car and the young man approached my car and I told him I wanted the basic wash. In two seconds I found out his mom has brain cancer. So, I gave him this blog address on my card and he looked astonished. I just said have your mom just take a look. I said make sure you tell your mom that God’s in control. He smiled. My car looks clean all the dents and scratches are easier to see now. Lol
I then went to Walgreen for an item and talked to the cashier who said I looked familiar. I knew who she was too. I look different the last time she saw me was a year and a half ago when I walked into the store with my wife on a walker and I was huge from the steroid so I knew why she could not place me. So again I began to witness she was filled with joy and started talking about her handicapped daughter. God is so good.
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So keep your eyes and heart opened you never know what opportunity you might have to help another person or be helped by them 🙂
Stepping off of the Lent and Easter subject for just one moment , I wanted to speak about the one thing that I know that I have tried to do with my family. I have tried to the best of my ability to bring Christ ALIVE in my family. I certainly have not been perfect in my attempt because I am not a perfect farther or person. But I have done my level best.
The importance …
My family have been through an awful lot of stuff over the years. From the loss of a child, to family matters that came to our doorstep that we needed to become involved with. Jobs and building a business and serious illness with parents who required our attention. Finally terminal brain cancer 3 years ago which created the financial crap stuff that we have endured.
Once again. You know what, we are still here, we are still leaning on what has taken care of us all of our lives Our Lord and Savoir. There is still a song to be sung.
Still, Still, Still
Australian children’s choir.
I have watched my kids walk the path of life looking at us going through these trying times to see if or when their mom and dad would collapse under the weight of things. You know as you all know God gives parents an amazing ability to put the kids first and to walk chin up and face forward into the storm. Giving our children the assurance that everything would be okay. God gave us that ability because our faith is deep like the roots of a big tree. We also have a strong like minded family raised in faith. The final piece to this is that we have stayed close to our church community and friends. They too are steadfast in their veiled in God and his promises.
Their faith is what gets them through so much junk in their lives. They all four of them have sought friends to date that just make us so happy. They are all working and finishing their educations. Yes, they are doing things their own way at times but that is their life decision and they are making their way. They live scan to scan with me. They do not hate God because I got sick. They don’t like it but they have seen that I choose not to be a victim nor has my life been portrayed as one. I have told them that God’s will will be done. We are all passengers on the bus and when my bus stop comes then I will arrive at a new and more beautiful destination. Amen. 🙂
This is why teaching your children Faith and God’s love very young allows them to face life with a healthy outlook. They can live knowing that hope abounds and nothing is too catastrophic. They are GOD strong and reliant.
Just Danny Speaks 