Gifted

Today was a very busy but very good day at my workistry. I saw one of "my" kids first thing who had great news: she had been accepted to private school on a nearly full bursary. Her parents were so delighted with our support at the parish, the father bought a bunch of chocolate Easter eggs we had on sale and gifted one to each of the "kids" as he called them -- the altar servers and me, the biggest chocoholic 'kid' around. I was delighted and so pleased for their daughter. And I really enjoyed that chocolate egg!

Later on I was talking to the couple selling the Easter eggs for a local charity, and I said I had been looking for gifts for my altar servers for Easter, but their eggs were just slightly out of our price range. Some time later I returned and they had a proposal for me: I could pay what I could for the kids' gifts for the eggs, and they would cover the difference. I couldn't say no to that offer and bought myself 35 eggs - and they threw in two for me as a gift! I'm going to send them a thank you note this week.

Shortly afterwards one of the lectors approached me with a poster he had seen that reminded him of me; he gave it to me to post in my office. It's a picture of sunflowers in a field along with a quotation from St. Teresa of Avila: "Be not perplexed, be not afraid. Everything passes, God does not change." Again I was very touched by his kindness.

Later still, after attending 2.5 Masses and taking care of lots of clean-up following our weekend for the engaged couples, I set up for Youth Group. One of the moms came in early to talk to me and let me know her wonderful news too: another one of "my" little guys got accepted at a private school on full bursary. She told her son that since he had asked for help from the school, he would have to give back that help at the school and in the community. That, of course, includes the parish, which is great since he's a fine young man and I have someone else to turn to when I'm looking to give away a few community service hours and get a little help with the bigger jobs that come up during the year.

Indeed, a very good day.