... To Weather the Storms

Hurricanes, Halloween, Snow storms ... they all take some preparation. Life has been a little sideways the past two weeks. Just when I thought I was starting to settle into a routine, the schedule was blown out the window!  I learned what kinds of preparations to make for a hurricane, sort of similar to a Kansas ice storm: filling pans with water for drinking and filling tubs for flushing toilets, bringing in all the outdoor furniture to prevent it from blowing into the house, closing the blinds in case a window should break, making sure everyone had flashlights, cleaning out the fridge and freezer to know what you have to eat first, and stocking up on water, batteries, and gasoline. Hurricane Sandy closed our school down for a week and many for longer. Much of the area was without power, heat, hot water, and now gas to run a generator or drive to another location. However, it is beautiful and encouraging to see the outpouring of aid being sent and volunteer efforts to help those suffering from the storm.



St. Philomena, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Patrick
Mary Help of Christians with the Child Jesus, Laura Vicuna



Halloween in the area was "postponed" due to the storm damage, but not at our house! It was probably more fun planning and assembling our costumes than actually wearing them. We spent a good portion of our afternoon trying on and tacking together everything from a Bishops' staff, Mary's scepter, a tin foil covered shield and a palm branch. As it was the eve of the Feast of All Saints Day we dressed up as different saints and made a surprise visit down to where our elderly Sisters live. It was the warmest reception I've ever had for a Halloween parade and they were so excited to find out which saint we were.

  

Snow day!



Last Wednesday we experienced our first SNOW of the season. It was very wet, and not too cold, just enough to make a picturesque winter scene in the front yard. Again, preparations were made, like putting a shovel at every entrance and taking the long inside passage to the chapel instead of the outside slippery sidewalk. And, after all that, we settled into our blankets and boots in front of the window and watched the glittery flakes fall ... so perfect and unique.



This time of preparation has definitely been a time of personal growth, in knowledge and spiritually. Abandonment of my schedule, my plans, my will ... learning from the examples of those who've gone before. We've been reading about three Salesian boys who studied at Don Bosco's school and they were outstanding witnesses to the faith. Never afraid to stand up to their peers, they always had a quick comment to direct others on the right path. For example, when Mickey Magone overheard some of his classmates talking about something inappropriate he started whistling really loudly. They asked him what was wrong with him and he replied, if you're going to have such a rude conversation, why can't I be just as rude to interrupt it? And after that they were more careful in their speech around him. What an impact that one memorable but small encounter had on others! Instead of expecting others to act, think, speak like we think they should, can't we show them how and help them get there? It's not enough to set the example, sometimes we have to use our words and explain ourselves. I was thinking about how easy it is for me to be patient with students and kids, but how hard it can be sometimes with adults. Just because I know something, doesn't mean others have had that experience or have learned that about themselves; we have to appreciate our differences, but also share our knowledge. As we continue this time of formation, I pray for perseverance and fortitude in weathering the storms that life sends our way.