Christian Comfort ?

(Not to be confused with Southern Comfort!)

Last December, as Woman “A” lay in the hospital and it was apparent to all that she could no longer live alone in her condominium; her children looked for a retirement home for her. Woman A, being a devout Catholic, said that her wish was to stay at the local, and only, Catholic retirement center in the area….

As she spoke to the director of the Catholic Retirement Center, she explained her situation….

She was a devout Catholic who attended church every Sunday for the past 70 years. She had also volunteered, every Sunday, for 30 years at the local church and after that, for the last 10 years or so, she volunteered at the chapel in the local Catholic Hospital. Here, she would show up almost everyday to assist the priest in his duties for the day and then she would also assist those of the Catholic faith and others in the hospital by offering them comfort and/or helping them in prayer to Jesus and God. She was so good at this and so in tune with the fragile souls in the hospital that she developed the ability to know when “it was time” for the priest to offer the final, comforting prayers. Many in the hospital were aware of and in awe of her mysterious ability. Even the priest stated that she was ahead of the doctors with her diagnoses! Anyway, the point is that she had long ago devoted her life to Jesus, God and the Catholic Church. This was her life and in the later years, this was her calling. It meant the world to her. It was her world.

The director, a woman in her 50’s, smartly dressed in the latest fashionable and expensive business outfit, peered down, over her designer prescription glasses, at woman A and said, “I am sure God is very proud of you; however, we have absolutely no room at the “inn” for anyone. I am very sorry. May God be with you.”

Woman A, with a broken heart, was shocked to hear this but nevertheless, silently and meekly left the office accepting the decision and her fate.

Later in the day, came another woman, Woman “B”, into the director’s office and sat down on one side of the very large, hand made, cherry wood desk. She, too, was looking for a retirement place and since she was also Catholic and had attended church on a semi-regular basis, when she had the time since she was always so busy, had also decided that this retirement home was the best one for her. Again, the director told her that there was absolutely no room at the center for anyone.

Then the women stated that she could pay $10K cash, a month, for a room.

Upon hearing this, the director quickly took off her Christian Dior (get it- Christian! Dior) designer glasses, straitened her fancy cashmere jacket and while fumbling around, typed hastily onto the keyboard of her Apple Laptop to “surprisingly” find that, lo and behold, there was indeed a room available in the center for “a women with such outstanding Christian values!” “God is with you”, she said proudly as Woman B smugly left the office, with her assistant by her side.


Meanwhile, Woman A ... still stubbornly living at home for the past year (it was the Catholic Center or none at all!) ... after an emergency operation in the hospital …. Died last week - one week before Christmas ….


And God said, ” the meek shall inherent the earth….”

jbm :(

RIP Dad

Rising from the depths of the deep blue sea
Souring majestically beyond the red, white and blue sky
As it’s earthly journey has reached the end
This soul flies on

Once, not long ago
Or so it seems
This soul entered earth’s plane
A soul so vibrant so eager

Eager to learn
Eager to play
Eager for joy and
Eager for life’s game…..

The printed word became his playing field
Baseball to basketball to football
He knew them all
For the game was his game

And now the time has come
Time to begin anew

It's goals accomplished
It's earthly light diminished
Friends touched
Touched by friends

The tears are dry and gone but the smiles remain
Remembering…the good times had
The abundance for life
Never slowed…just kept on growing
For this soul I called Dad

Serenity and peace achieved
Stormy weather past
A light breeze is now behind him
And smooth seas surround him

As night turns into day unto night
This blinding sun, which years ago rose
Has set into the deep blue sea

For the sea is his friend
As it has always been….

RestInPeace, Dad
RIP…….

jbm :(