February 19: A Little Outrageous, Classes Canceled, God's Love Number Two

"The thing about [The Man Who Died], which always amazes me," [Paul] went on, "is that Lawrence wrote about Christ as if he somehow knew him.  I mean it's a believable book, in that sense.  I figure that the only way he could do that, and pull it off, was by having some sense of God.  I mean Lawrence was no atheist, even if he was a little outrageous."

Paul is the son of Ives' best friend.  Eventually, by the end of the book, Paul marries Ives' daughter, Caroline.  Ives is still struggling with the loss of his son.  Everything reminds him of Robert.  Ives goes to see a James Bond movie with his wife, and he remembers a Halloween Robert dressed up as Agent 007.  He watches Bing Crosby in Going My Way and imagines his son as a priest.  Paul can't replace Robert in Ives' heart.  But, like a son, Paul listens to Ives, shares his passions and dreams with Ives.

Usually, I'm teaching my poetry class at the university right now, but evening classes were canceled due to dangerously low temperatures.  Thirty below zero with the winds.  So, I got to come home early tonight.  I was able to read Harry Potter to my son before he went to sleep.  Kiss him goodnight.  Now, I get to sit and relax.  Maybe read a book or work on a new poem.

I rarely get a chance to have a normal evening like this one.  Most of the time, I'm working or teaching or sitting in my university office.   By Thursday night, I'm usually so tired I can barely keep my eyes open for the ten o'clock news.  I love what I do.  Love teaching film and poetry.  However, it drains my energy by the end of the week.

I needed this break.  Needed a normal, quiet night.  So, even though this polar express is wreaking havoc across the United States, I'm going to count it as a sign of God's love.  Even though penguins could mate comfortably in my front yard this evening, I'm home, enjoying the company of my wife and kids.  Relaxing.

That's God's Love Number Two for Saint Marty.

Thank God for the Polar Express tonight