Happy Mother's Day

Am up way too early and have already outlined a tour plan for Olie and Skip today--including alternative bus routes as one of the Tube lines they need to take is closed for maintenance this weekend. Not sure if they can get it all in before Olie has to catch his plane tonight, but my husband is a master at cramming the maximum amount of activity in any given time period. Then again, he also loves to sit around and do nothing. A man of extremes.

Was very impressed by how well Maddie and two of her friends (who are brother and sister) behaved at yesterday's first communion service for their friend. I was fearful at one point we would have to have a big discussion about theology and the difference between Catholics and Protestants and why we weren't taking communion there, but an assurance that Catholics, too, are Christians who just worship a bit differently than we do was all that was needed.

There was a great prayer at the end of the service that the parents of the children who were receiving communion stood and said together. It is really beautiful. Don't know if this is a standard part of this particular mass or if someone in the congregation found or wrote it. But here it is. I think it's a wonderful prayer to say every day.

Gracious God, here are our children
Reach out and touch them with your love
Help them be aware of your presence with them in their daily lives
Guide them and inspire them
Call them and strengthen them to respond to adventures you have planned for them
Help us to raise and encourage them as they undertake new ventures
Keep them from sin, but if (I change this to "when") they sin, draw them back to you
Open their hearts and minds to be loving and generous
Help them to get to know themselves and to enjoy the person you created them to be
Help them to recognize that they are gifted.
Bless them with a willingness of spirit to use their gifts for the good of others
Hold them close to your heart and deepen their love for you

As for us, help us to love them without possessiveness
Help us to be patient as they strive to find themselves
May we always respect them for what you made them to be
Be with us to guide them with our wisdom
Help us to be gracious in love and be willing to let them go

And when the work is done and they are formed and raised and gone
help us to turn back to you without children and continue the journey, wiser with more understanding of your love for us, be cause we have had children of our own.