It's Friday

It's been a tough week.

Losing four beautiful cats from the catblogosphere was more than I could handle and I didn't even know them. I felt I did, though, through the outpouring of condolences and wishes for prayers and comfort. It goes to show how fragile life is and how everyone needs one another to help get through it.

So, what do we do? We garden, or we look at the sky a lot, the big, puffy clouds, or we do something to get our minds off that empty space that begins to grow if we gaze at it too long. 

I take a walk through my church. We have what is called a twenty-four hour vigil where volunteers take turns and visit with God for an hour. I walk through, trying not to get noticed, skimming the marble floor on my pawpads, the lamplight and candlelight so soothing, and listen to the murmurs from statues silent by day.

Sadness always makes me reflect. I think about how there are things over which we have no control. I try to change my ways a little. I think that I will laugh more, listen and talk less, and remember my friends, never passing up an opportunity to make their day a little brighter.

~*~

--Julie here--Whether you're Catholic or not, here's something Tom remembers my telling him:

Growing up Catholic we were encouraged to "make a visit." Stop in the church and visit with God for just a little while. Today, churches that don't have vigils are kept locked and it's just not done so much any more. To encourage us to say hello once in awhile, a nun shared this with me growing up:

When you go by a church

Stop in and make a visit

So when you're carried in one day

The Lord won't say, "Who is it?"

Have a great weekend!

--Julie & Tom