Heartfelt Gratitude

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#19 Dear St. Anthony, When you heard me implore "Please let me find just one clean diaper, Please!" you really did understand how quickly I needed a response. Our diapering philosophy extends no mercy to mothers who beg a sick day from laundry duties. For that lone swim diaper in last summer's pool bag, I am truly, truly grateful. Thank you!I've got that washing machine going now. Lesson learned.

Lent Day 24

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Fast: Give up thinking things have to be perfect.
“Don’t get upset with your imperfections. It’s a great mistake because it leads nowhere - to get angry because you are angry, upset at being upset, depressed at being depressed, disappointed because you are disappointed. So don’t fool yourself. Simply surrender to the Power of God’s Love, which is always greater than our weakness.” — St. Francis de Sales

Pray: Before you go anywhere else online today, pray this prayer, taken from the writings of St. Louis de Montfort:
Lord, help me to imitate Mary’s
deep humility,
lively faith,
blind obedience,
unceasing prayer,
constant self-denial,
surpassing purity,
ardent love,
heroic patience,
angelic kindness,
and heavenly wisdom.
Amen.

Give: As you do laundry today, bless the person for whom you are folding. With every crease, offer a prayer.

En Pointe

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NutcrackerI left the dance school yesterday with all my instructions from Mary Beth's teacher, Miss Mary. I knew where to sew the elastic and where to sew the satin ribbons. I knew who to request at the dance store for the fitting (only Esther was to be entrusted with this job). And just in case I didn't know, as I was leaving, Miss Mary reminded me of one more thing, "She's not a little dancer any more. Now she's a big girl." Ah, yes. Why is it this day seemed so far off way back when she was twirling for Miss Missy in my dining room?

Pointe_003 And so we arrived at The Cinnamon Tree. This was the dance store where I first purchased that outrageously expensive pink skirted leotard because I'd always wanted a little girl in a pink skirted leotard. At the time, Mary Beth was my only girl; a little pink angel in the midst of five brothers. On this day, I had another little girl by the hand and still another in my arms. We walked through door, led by Mary Beth, her hair still pulled up from dance class, her back straight and her stride the unmistakable walk of a ballerina. She sat for her fitting and I snapped pictures. I noticed that Mary Beth was so excited the both her hands and her feet shook.

Pointe_024 And then, Esther  held her hand and asked her to go up en pointe. Mary Beth did and I heard a collective gasp from the ladies in the shop. "You did that beautifully!" exclaimed Esther. I will never know if such exclamations come with the purchase price of one's first pointe shoes, but my little girl  ballerina flushed with joy.

En pointe.

Pointe_026_2 Two little girls took it all in, inspired once again by the truest heroine in their young lives. Katie will remember every detail of this day and she is likely to talk about it for the next six years until she claims a day like this as her own.She spent a good deal of time begging for a pink skirted leotard. Not this time, my girl.  And Karoline. Karoline, who speaks very little English at this point, can do a pretty admirable passe, to go with her burre, her port de bras, and her arabesque. Karoline is a dancer in good company. And right now, she has in Mary Beth the best teacher in all the world.