The Beautiful Lesson A Wolf Pack Can Teach Us About Family

A pack of wolves: The first 3 are the older or sick and they set the pace of the group. If it was on the contrary, they would be left behind and lost contact with the pack. In
ambush case they would be sacrificed.

The following are the 5 strongest. In the center follow the remaining members of the pack, and at the end of the group the other 5 stronger.

Last, alone, follows the alpha wolf. It controls everything from the rear.
That position can control the whole group, decide the direction to follow and anticipate the attacks of opponents.

The pack follows the rhythm of the elders and the head of the
command that imposes the spirit of mutual help not leaving anyone behind.

                                                         Credit: Mike Demeter

I saw this on Facebook and was so impressed by it.  It seems that in recent times, the seniors in our families have become a burden.  They are not as revered as they used to be. 

I remember as a girl that Sunday was always the day spent at my grandparents' house.  There was nothing more important than that.  Many afternoons and evenings were spent listening to the stories of their childhood, their way of life. 

When I was teaching school, on of my favorite assignments to give the children was to interview the oldest member of their family and record it.  Many times I heard from parents that the assignment blossomed into a family project with all the old photographs coming out;  grandparents and aunts and uncles sharing stories even plans made for trips to ancestoral homes. 

The senior members of our families have so much to share and should be given the respect due them for their age.

Inspiration for 5/11/2016

My Mom

In honor of Mother's Day, I would like to tell you about my mom.  My mom was a beautiful woman; physically, emotionally and spiritually.  When I was a young girl, she was described as a statuesque, auburn-haired, irish beauty.  She had big, beautiful, brown eyes and a smile that could light up a room.  When I got married at 21, her hair had gone to a golden gray but she still had that presence of classic beauty.  Towards the end, mom's hair went completely white and her once tall, statuesque body shrunk and bent because of osteoporosis but she was still beautiful and classy.  Mom had a great sense of humor.  She could get you to laugh on just about anything.  She always acted surprised that people thought she was funny but she knew she was.  She would get this small smirk on her face when we would start to laugh at something and then appear to be shocked that we would find it funny. On my birthday, she would tell me how old I could tell people I was so that she could shave years off her real age.  I recall that I was 35 years old for almost 10 years before she changed my age.  She had a kind and loving heart.  Her family were the most important people to her and she would do anything for them.  She was a stay at home mom when I was a girl and I never heard her complain about it.  We lived down the street from school and I would come home for lunch every day.  She would set up the tv trays in the living room and we would have lunch together.  When I was younger, mom loved her soap operas.  Her favorites were The Secret Storm and The Edge of Night. As she got older, her taste ran to CNN News, Judge Judy and college football, specifically Notre Dame college football. She was always a doodler and colorer as far back as I can remember. When she would get us coloring books, she would buy one for herself.  My gift to her every Christmas included new coloring books and a new pack of colorful sharpies.  She loved to dance and it was joyful to watch her and dad jitterbug at a party.  She loved my dad with all her heart.  Theirs was a true soul mate romance.  When he passed after 45 years of marriage, she never really got over the grief of his absence.  My mom had a deep faith in God and took us to church every Sunday.  She prayed the rosary and prayed to her special saint, St. Theresa of the Child Jesus.  I believe that my faith in God began with my mom's example. 

My mom has been gone now almost 5 years and I still remember our last conversation.  I remember her voice, her laugh and her touch when she hugged me goodbye.  I take it as a great compliment when I am told I sound or act like my mom.  Although I wish that she was still here with me, I am comforted knowing that she is my guardian angel and watching over me from heaven above.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom,  love Lala

Creative God

Yesterday morning I went to the grocery store.  The sun was shining and there was a warm breeze.  It was a lovely day in May.  By late afternoon, the sky had darkened considerably and then a steady sheet of rain fell for a number of hours.  Tuesday felt so miserable by the time the rain had stopped.  But then my husband called me outside and said, "Ellen, you must see this!"  There it was, the most beautiful rainbow in the sky above our home.  Once more I was reminded at how creative God is with His universe.

"When the bow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature—every mortal being that is on earth. "---Genesis 9:16

The Merry Merry Month of May!