A Season for Hope

Between the economic news, the drab, sunless days of approaching winter and the continuous din of the final weeks of the election, sometimes I think that the situation in America is pretty hopeless. I tune into the media via computer, newspapers and TV and find myself not wanting to think about any of it. When I sent in my ballot, my first reaction was relief that I didn't have to listen to any of those stupid accusations, boldface lies or dumb scripts developed by handlers. I wonder what it is about Americans that makes us support the prolonged agony of this election process. Why do we turn out in hoards to be given sound bites and empty phrases? Why don't we demand that the media produce meaningful and non-partisan articles and programs? Why do we get on the bandwagons that roll over our own citizens..examples are Joe the Plumber and Palin. The opposing group and the media were hardly fair or civil in their attacks. That is just the most recent examples which happen to be on the Republican side of the situation. I am sure that Democrats also received appropriate attention. It almost makes you wish for the smoked filled rooms because the decisions were made and you didn't have to be exposed to all this trash for a year and a half. So now that we all know how I feel about this election, what is there about this season that gave anyone hope?
With all their frivolous behavior and attitudes, Americans are, at heart, very generous people. That to me may be our saving grace. Some large percentage of our populous claims a belief in a religion of some type. I would hope that Christians would continue to add to their congregations across the world, but in most cases, all religions encourage giving to those in need. This week I received two reminders that people really are mindful of their blessings and prepared to pay those gifts forward. These two stories coming to me from family and friends within a day of each other reaffirmed that there is a chance that good will triumph over greed, selfishness and stupidity.
Yesterday my brother wrote that he and Cindy attended a large dinner engagement at the country club in the community outside the base. It was a sort of meet and greet for the business community to welcome Mike and Cindy. All my brother told me about the dinner was that the business men and women seem to be people committed to making a real difference in the lives of children. Mike was given a $50,000.00 check to be used for Gold Star Children. These are the kids who have lost a parent in a war zone and this is the Army fund that helps support them and send them to school and provide for them in other ways.
Today I received an e-mail from a friend who has a son-in-law in association with a prestigious hospital where cancer research as well as care is given to sick children. His son-in-law, who is a brilliant doctor, does research on brain tumors in children. The doctor was given a $15,000.00 check to be used in the lab. This was a payment forward by a grateful parent who's child had received the doctor's care.
On a smaller scale, but just as importantly, Sunday morning found us before an alter which was filled with bags of food for the food bank in Logan. The last Sunday of the month is designated for giving to meet the needs of others. It is a kind of paying forward in return for all the blessings and assets we have been given by the grace of God.
Perhaps, by the grace of God, the people of America will again find and follow the better aspects of our nature. Perhaps God will have mercy on us and allow this experiment to continue. Amen

St Michael, The Terror of Children

This is St. Michael, The Archangel, the patron of our little family town in Foggia, Italy. Obviously, you get the connection since everyone in our family is named Michael, spelled in one form or another. When they went through Italian and French, they started on Spanish! There are no end to the pet names: Michaline, Michaela, Scappyannmickarotti (my Grandfather Brown's contribution and a sort of protest of these foreign monikers).

Why "The Terror?" My Grandparents lived in a long narrow row house in Cleveland. This statue stood in a dark corner next to the attic door in the upstairs bedroom. The stair case opened directly into this room and there was no way to avoid his eyes as you darted pellmell into the front bedroom and slammed the door. St. Michael stood at least five feet tall on his pedestal and the tilted, black face of the devil with his red lolling tongue was exactly at the face level of people who were four feet tall; or there abouts! Every child in the family was afraid the devil would win or St. Michael would get down and lay about with that vicious sword. You never knew when your sins were going to catch up with you. To make matters worse, our grandfather took each of us up to look at St. Michael, so he could tell us in his Italian accent about this fine saint who saved our town and how the town made his armor for him as a gift. Then he would tell us how he and my father created the statue to always honor the family patron.
To this day, St. Michael reigns in my Aunt Lucy's house, just as tall, but less frightening because he is in a brightly lighted place. But there are still plenty of little people who refuse to go in the room. There were teenagers who would not sleep in a room with St. Michael. I know, because I was one of them! The current betting is on who will get St. Michael in the next generation. Who wants St. Michael sitting in a dark corner? Jim or Mike, or Sam, or Me? A Halloween treat year round!