Summertime

Summertime.

Mainly, it is uninterrupted family time.  I love summer.  Vacation, picnics, movies, outings, swimming, etc.  Until you say bathing suit.  Then dread sets in.

Mammas sometimes have a rough go fitting into those tiny things, and if we are lucky enough to get one on, we become very subconscious of how we look.  We curse that snack or bite of ice cream.  We cringe as we pass the mirror and affirm that we will ditch the extra cream in the coffee.  We tie a towel around and proceed outside.  Then swim?  HA.  Out of the question.  Who wants to hear the snide comment of the extra baby pounds or the years are starting to take their toll?  The body shaming may not be overt, but we feel it.

We sit on the sidelines, vowing to diet and exercise.  That accomplishes nothing but probably hatred for ourselves.

While having good health is good, what should we focus on? What is really important?  The priority is God and souls.  Then everything else falls into place, including our physical beings.  That includes having a healthy view of our bodies.  Keeping them in the best shape, given our calling and obligations is a must, but not with obsession.

1 Corinthians 10:31 states:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

That includes what we see at the movies, where we vacation, what outings we do, not just bathing suits.  What we consume through our senses matter.  So is that ice cream really important?  The Good Lord has given us a body to glorify him, so how we treat it and view it reflects back to God.  We should not be ashamed of our bodies.   We may have produced children, so we carry extra “padding”.  Our age creeps up, so we go “south” a bit.  God created us to love, and that includes our own beings.  Not vanity, but to take care of ourselves.

So, enjoy the ice cream, maybe not as much, but show Glory to God in the sense of taste.  Go see the movie or visit the Grand Canyon, and glorify God through sight.  Maybe pass on the movie with the risqué scenes.  Enjoy the picnic with the family.  The running and jumping, maybe even swimming will be enjoyable as it glorifies God through touch, hearing, and smell.  (My husband always barbeques for a picnic, and the smell is wonderful!!)

And if someone should “suggest” how to lose weight to Mamma, just smile and reply, “You are beautiful too.”  Is there any better way to glorify God?

An Electronics Free Summer

It started with an afternoon video game spree in the middle of a very untidy family room. I started to get angry.  Well, that’s not exactly true… my blood was boiling.  I had been upstairs trying to work my way through Mount Washmore, while the kids were supposed to be picking up the first floor.  I had carefully assigned specific, age-appropriate tasks in the hopes that when all the work was done, we could head out for the park and enjoy a beautiful summer day.  Unfortunately, the kids had other ideas.

The blue glow of the screen, whether it is some mind-numbingly sophomoric show on Nickelodeon, or Minecraft, or even an educational movie, had reduced my children to pudgy zombies seeking non-stop entertainment. This had to stop. I want them to know there is more to life than what you can find on a screen.

So I unplugged it all.  I piled it up in my office. I told them they were not getting any of it back until the end of the summer. They sat in stunned silence. Now what? I didn’t even know. I shut myself in the office to formulate a plan and to avoid being taken prisoner by my mutinous minions.

I decided that I would let them know that I understood that no electronics was a tall order. BUT, if they were willing to stick it out, they would see it would reap big rewards.  I told them to go make a list of all the non-electronic things they wanted to do this summer.

I got back lists which included the local amusement park and water park, the Museum of Science and Industry, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Yellowstone, the local park, several campgrounds, Glacier National Park, and on and on.

YES! First step accomplished.  They did know there was life outside the tube.  The next step was to sit down and have a meeting.  We decided a trip was in order.  In addition to heading out to Six Flags at least once a week, and going to Chicago to the museums, several local camps, and our diocesan VBS, we now have plans for a two week excursion to Glacier National Park, Teddy Roosevelt Park, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, and parts in between. We’re bringing Grandma, and a Great Aunt.  And we’re camping.

Since the games and TV have been unplugged, they’ve learned to play games with each other, they are reading more, and lots of games are being played in the back yard.  I have noticed more compassion with one another and more creativity in their dialogue. The lack of electronics has had a humanizing effect on our family.

They still ask for the video games.  And I remind them of the trip we’re planning, the work we have to do on the house before we leave, and all the fun there is to be had outside. There are some groans still, but it’s getting better.

This may be our best summer yet.

What Does it Mean to be an All Star?

 

     Tis the season for baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and well you know the rest of the jingle!  For our family, Little League baseball is wrapping us this week.  I write that with mixed emotions. The boys have such a good time playing, they make new friends, and I really enjoy watching baseball. I also love to watch my hubby coach. He's fantastic with the kids, helping them to learn new skills, build confidence, and have fun playing the sport of baseball. On the other hand, I am looking forward to less crazy evenings and far less peanut butter and jelly sandwiches eaten on the run!

     End of season also means All Star selection time. If you don't like baseball, hang in there with me!  This time of year is tough on coaches, parents, and players almost unnecessarily.  What I've lost in time making Pb and j sandwiches, I've gained in wisdom about what is really important for raising All Stars and if everyone could just see it my way, the world of Little League, or youth sports in general, might be a more pleasant experience! It's entirely possible that's not true, but read on.

     Even the most laid back, go with the flow parents can get wrapped up in the adrenaline of winning games.  It's fun to win and I'm sure we all want our kids to succeed especially doing the things they love most.  However, I hate when I find myself losing sight of the true end game.  I forget that I'm cheering on a whole person, not just a baseball player. Maybe like you, I'm so focused on what's right in front of me that I've forgotten the true goal. All Star selection time rolls around and of course both my ball players are waiting, fingers crossed you might say, for the email to come.  For days they ask my husband and I if we've received the email and for days we put them off. In the meantime, we have many conversations about what being an All Star means.  As a coach my husband has to choose All Stars from his team and it's really difficult. He believes that an All Star doesn't just have the right skills but also the right attitude. He wants players to give their best effort at all times and to be good winners and good losers.

     All Stars are supposed to stand out. It's considered an honor to be selected. So many times in the last week or so, I've been reminded of the correlation between being an All Star and being a Catholic Christian. What is our end game? How are we going to get to Heaven?  We can look at the Communion of Saints as the best examples of what it means to be an All Star. Each Saint is known for something unique that they did, whether ordinary or extraordinary, to the best of their ability. Maybe they spent time with the poorest of the poor, or taught in a school, or died for the name of Jesus. No matter what, they kept plugging along. Just like my boys have to practice to get better at baseball, we all have to practice to be better Christians.

     We can't become better Christians without practicing...every day. We have to put time and effort in...every day. Our practice might include daily prayer (the rosary, meditation), the sacraments, adoration, Scripture study, fasting, tithing, etc. There will always be tough games or tough days. Just like my boys shouldn't throw their bats down when they strike out, we can't chuck our crosses out the door. We have to pick them up and keep moving. There are days when I would just love to stomp off the field and sit on the bench and pout! I mean who doesn't have days like those, it's reality because God never said it would be easy. But just like my boys have coaches who help them to be better, we have a Heavenly Father to love us and guide us along the way. When we feel like less than All Star material, we just need to ask for help. None of us were called to live out our vocation all alone.

     So in our house we ended up with one player making All Stars and one not, and no one is worse the wear because they know their end game. Yes, of course, my son who didn't make it is disappointed, but he cheered for his friends that made it and he knows he needs to work harder for next year. I'm thrilled that he can see the big picture and it reminds me to do the same.