my Dad's birthday

it's my Dad's birthday. He turns 88 today. He just wants it to be celebrated just as any other

day. He's really an heroic Dad. I feel so blessed. I could sit and listen to him for hours.

He's precious and special and pure magic to me! We've had complications

but I just think he's the greatest.

I went down to morning meal at 10 am today. Since we had the vigil last night (and we stayed up late)

we don't have need for a service Saturday morning, since that service is had during the vigil the night before.

When I went down this morning, I went into the coffee room and sat with my friend Penny

(a lay person who boards at the monastery) and a man who is the Abbess' father.

In any event, I found myself getting grouchy around him - and I know why - but then as I wrote

in the last journal or post (I can't remember) I just stayed humbly moving forward as I myself

may be annoying someone too in the group. I decided not to make things so much about me

but rather just humbly and happily moving forward in the group.

Penny then drove me up to the rectory after the meal. So nice of her. It's frigid out and I 

was really grateful for the ride (it's about a third of a mile back up to the rectory from

church) - it's subzero tempurates right now - but sunny and bright bright bright - really pretty

just frigid. I came up to my room and greeted Blue and then I thought 'what to do' with my day?

It dawned on me once again (like I mentioned in a recent journal) - that I need to create the fun with my day and it's a challenge or

a point of order we all have to grapple with. Not everything can be fun - but we also

can try and make it as fun as possible. So then I kind of juxtaposed the two experiences.

Of me being grouchy about coping with my experience of someone else - and  just being

happily humble to the group - and then also the need for making the experience and challenge of

being alone happy and fun. I realized my own heaviness and gave it up to god. I 

then called my Dad and wished him a happy birthday. It was a quick but precious and meaningful

talk. I'll see him tomorrow on the family zoom!! Right now I am going to look for things to do 

around here.

Have the best day! Thanks for reading!!

xo

Mark