Jim

So, on Easter Sunday, my son was doing his very sleepy, I-need-a-nap-right-in-the-middle-of-mass thing. He passed himself from one set of arms to another, grandpa-grandma-daddy-mommy. But then, he settled in on the pew beside me, and snuggled up against the old gentleman next to me. He didn't fall asleep, but he stayed there for a long time, and the old gentleman smiled, and patted his head, then went back to paying attention to the mass. Then, as if he'd just noticed Gamgee for the first time, he'd smile again, and pat his head again, blinking. Eventually, Gamgee passed himself back to us.

That was two weeks ago. Today, during the coffee hour after mass, I got to meet the old gentleman, when he came over to the empty seat beside me and asked, "May I sit here?" His name is Jim. He has two - no, four! - grandchildren. And he didn't recognize me until I said, "Yes, my son fell asleep by you on Easter." And then he got a big smile on his face, and insisted I show him where Gamgee was (his dad was holding him on the other side of the room), and we talked some more. He said that it had been such a blessing to have our baby snuggled up next to him that Sunday, a blessing.

I guess I don't have more to say about it than that. It was just one of those really cool things. One of the moments that reminds you of what it is to live in the household of God. Old and young together, strangers actually being family. It was just really cool.

peace of Christ to you,
Jessica