Reflecting on what is timeless.

 I leafed through the pages of a 2008 Country Home magazine this morning. Luann Brandsen, Editor in Chief, wrote in her welcome letter about a time in 1855 when people lived on a small farm home with very little. She talked about the modest way of life based on historical information that had been shared with her.  While we can not go back in time, we can look back at what is timeless. Many of my parents' generation are passing to heaven lately. My mother passed in 2017 at age 92, this week Fr. Gerry O'Rourke, at age 95 and one month ago my friend Kathy Murphy at age 89.  I reflect on their lives and some of the ways I know they lived and what remains timeless. 

On her modest family budget,  Mom created many one pot meals including stews, soups and other recipes to feed her 9 children and husband. We always enjoyed a homemade dessert every night including browning, pies, and cookies.   Our kitchen had enough space for cooking, baking and serving 3 meals a day at our regimented time: 6am breakfast, 11am lunch and 5:30pm dinner.  In this 1600 square foot home we all had beds, closet space and room to play. We never needed more storage as we did not have that much stuff. Our one pot, maybe 2 served us well. We had bikes, roller-skates and of course Milton Bradley board games and cards. In our closet hung 1 school uniform, two white blouses/shirts, one blue uniform sweater and for the girls one pretty dress for Sunday mass and free dress day at Catholic school. Our dresser drawers held jammies and a short set.  We always had something to wear, time for girl scouts, sports and a place at our table to eat family meals together. While mom did call herself taxi driver, her driving extended from home to school as our sports practices, music lessons and scouts were right after school ended and at the school yard/cafeteria and convent. Even with 9 children our lives were not complicated. She had time for us.  Simplicity is timeless.

Kathy Murphy recycled before that word existed. She reduced water usage by watering plants with leftover dish and bath water. Kathy reused fabric for patching holes in pants and shirts. She made quilts and homemade potholders. Her children were able to walk to school and this gave her extra time to do things at home and for others. She and her husband led the marriage preparation classes for St. Catherine's of Siena Catholic Church and both volunteered for 30 plus years with St. Vincent de Paul.  Service is timeless.

While I did not know Fr. Gerry's that well, his ways as a priest were wise and profound. Fr. Gerry often led the 12 noon daily mass where he would speak to us from the pulpit, asking a question and expecting a response. He had beautiful habit of waving to us all at the end of mass and the whole parish waved back. My husband Joe referred to him as our local Pope.  He had a way of engaging in conversations as if you were the only one in the room and with a piercing gaze as if he knew your every thought.  In a reflection on forgiveness, provided as part of his funeral mass, he wrote a process to forgive. No doubt from reading this pamphlet on forgiveness, his insights are grounded in theology, and his own experience as a human and as a priest. Forgiveness is timeless.

I began this blog thinking I would write about the past as in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's and realize my past  is a reflection on three people's gifts to me.  Reflecting is timeless.