November 18: Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, Feeling Tired and Old

Don't let the title of this post fool you.  It has been a good day for me.

I went to the radio station and recorded my Christmas essay.  The announcer who helped me out is an acquaintance.  A really nice guy.  After I was done reading my piece, he hit the stop button and sat there for a few moments in silence.  I thought for sure he was going to say something like, "We can't air that during the holiday reading series."  What he said after a second or so was, "I don't think the word 'profound' really describes that essay."  He was deeply moved by it, and we spent several minutes in the booth discussing issues of mental illness.  He's definitely going to air the essay.  He even gave me the date it will be broadcast:  December 21, the winter solstice.

After leaving the radio station, I went back to work and finished the Christmas decorating I had started.  So far, two of the three areas I need to decorate are complete.  I'm right on schedule, or shedule, as the Brits say.

It's been a busy afternoon.  I went grocery shopping, as usual.  Then my sister treated me to lunch at Red Lobster.  It was a nice surprise.  I also read her my essay, and she was in tears by the end of it.  (I know, you're all thinking, "What in the hell did he write in this essay?!"  You'regoing to have to wait until Christmas Eve to find out.)  My sister said it's the best thing I've ever written, which is very flattering.  I'm not sure I agree with her.  However, I think it has a raw power that may be lacking in other things I compose.

Right now, I'm waiting to pick up my daughter from her dance class, I'm feeling a little tired and old.  I've been at it a long time today.  When I was five or six years younger, I could run all day like this without so much as yawning.  Now, however, I could take about a three hour nap and probably still not regain my energy.  And I still have to finish cleaning the house when I get home.  Plus, we're planning to put up the Christmas tree tonight.  It's going to be a long, long evening.

This woman puts me to shame

Today's patron saint kind of inspires me.  Rose Philippine Duchesne didn't join her religious order until she was 49 years old.  Most people these days are thinking about retirement at that age.  Not Rose.  She was sent from her homeland of Germany to the United States in 1818.  At the age of 71 (that's right, folks, 71!), she began a school for Native Americans.  She died at the age of 84.  She never retired.  Never slowed down.  The Native Americans she served called her "the woman who is always praying."  Not a bad reputation to have.

Rose makes me feel a little ashamed of complaining about my tiredness.  For God sakes, she was older than me when she became a nun.  Talk about a late bloomer.  Therefore, I'm going to end this post with not another complaint.

It really has been a good day.  Saint Marty gives thanks for that.