Thank God for friends

You know, sometimes I just want to run away... for just a few minutes, mind you. I love my children, and I am thrilled to have the vocation of motherhood.

Really. I am.

But there are those days, when you just need a break for awhile... especially if you are a homeschooling mom, and are around your children all day, every day, with only the occasional bathroom break to give you that "moment alone."

Today was one of those days.

The kids were great -- they did what I asked of them without complaining, they played together nicely, and they were all in a great mood.

The problem was me, pure and simple. I just needed some space to think my own thoughts, without sharing the moment with little ones.

Enter my dear friend (who shall remain nameless until I get her permission to use her name on my blog).

She called at just the right time, and humored me as I rambled on and on about the scattered things I had been meditating on lately. She knows me and knows how my brain does these strange twists and turns, and yet is willing to keep up with it all and enjoy the ride.

I thank God (truly) for her friendship, because she has prayed me through many an ordeal.

It is so wonderful that Our Lord blesses us with friendships along the way. This can be a scary, hard-hitting world, and like we were when we were children, it makes all the difference to know that we are not alone... that there is someone with us to hold our hand when we get scared.

So, where did our conversation go today?

Well, it took various twists and turns, but landed on incorruptible bodies of the saints. (a bizarre topic for two SAHMs, I know...) So this evening, when I sat down to relax for awhile, I researched that topic (a bit), and eventually landed on the website of the Roman catacombs. It was there that I found the inscription (composed by St. Pope Damasus) on the tomb of St. Tarcisius, who was a 12 yr old acololyte who was bringing the Eucharist to the Christians in prison:

"When a wicked group of fanatics flung themselves
on Tarcisius who was carrying the Eucharist,
wanting to profane the Sacrament, the boy preferred
to give up his life rather than yield up
the Body of Christ to those rabid dogs".

I remember learning about St. Tarcisius in parochial school, and it was so amazing to me to actually see where he was buried... and to think of a 12 yr old boy, who could do at a young age what I doubt I could do at 39.

I also saw (again) the statue of St. Cecilia, who is my patron saint (chosen at Confirmation), and was in awe of the courage she had to face martyrdom...

I finished off with the tomb of St. Peter, who has always been one of my favorite saints.

And then, to top it all off, my brother (hey baby!) just called out of the blue, to tell me how to subscribe to "the saint of the day" podcast on iTunes.

I'm surrounded by saints!!

My prayer for awhile now has been that the Lord would direct me to those friends (both living and those now in Heaven) who could pray with me and encourage me on this road. I know who my friends are here on earth, and it amazes me that I have friends in Heaven as well, who know me and are praying for me as I complete the journey the Lord has in store for me.