We Know Not the Day or the Hour...

I spent some time last week (10th, 11th 12th)

trying to figure out what to say about my personal 9-11.

35 years ago

my mother had a massive coronary on September 2nd...

she spent nine days in ICU and never regained consciousness.

Each of us: Dad, brothers, sister, myself, had some time to

come to terms with the fact that Mommy was

simply not coming home ever again.

 She died on September 11, 1976...

I am 47now... 35 of those years have been "Motherless".

This year was more difficult than many...

I finally figured out

- with the help of the Holy Spirit-

what was bothering me...

My eldest daughter is now the same age as I was

on that awful day...

I prayed so hard that she would not have to experience

the pain of a loss like that at so young an age.

We had a wonderful day on Saturday the 10th at a Healing Mass,

and having some spiritual direction as a family.

Seeker Man was approaching a big legal date

that we have been praying about for many months.

It was a difficult weekend, but we made it through...

Then Tuesday morning the phone rang.

My Sister-in- Law sounded horrible...

her voice caught...

she told me that my brother had a heart attack...

I waited to hear that he was in the hospital...

he was not.

He was dead

at 52.

(This photo was from one of his 50th birthday gatherings)

He was my eldest daughter's God Father.

In the last week, I have seen my Dad and Step-Mom,

My eldest brother and his wife from Florida,

My sister and her family who live in Illinois,

Many cousins and Aunts and Uncles...

I loved and hated every minute of it.

We laughed alot and cried alot...

and prayed so very much.

Surely, we do not know the day nor the hour...

make those phone calls.

Write those letters.

Say "I Love You" more often.

Give big hugs.

You will be glad you did.