Funny Stuff

The Valentine Pendant

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Sonja and me sporting our heart pendants, and the man with the biggest heart

Mike and I have always worked together and, because we owned our business, part of my perks were the special hours I set for myself. I was in charge of Human Resources, so hiring, employee reviews, meeting with Workers’ Compensation insurance agents, etc. were part of my job responsibilities. Some days I was busier than others and because I worked part-time I needed to complete the task in a timely manner. It was Sonja’s eighteenth birthday in 1994, so Mike and I wanted to do something special for her.

The  Mistake

Mike and I were both at work when he announced that he was going to the jewelry mart in Los Angeles to pick out a gift for Sonja. I mentioned to Mike that I wanted to go with him, but my schedule would not permit it. I also believe that Mike did not want me at the jeweler’s for fear that I might see something that I had to have. He went without me, purchased a gift, then called me to tell me that he was going to meet Sonja for lunch. I was confused because we had agreed that whatever he purchased for our daughter would be presented by both of us.

From Los Angeles he drove to Orange County to meet with Sonja. I am not sure what exactly happened but they got into an argument, so Mike did not give her the gift.

When Mike returned he told me about the dispute, then went to his office. I followed him and told him, “That’s what you get for not including me!” Then I asked him to show me what he had purchased for Sonja. It was the most beautiful heart pendant. I was so upset that I told him that he needed to return the gift. He asked, “Why? What’s wrong with it?” I replied, “Do you see what I’m wearing?”  I was wearing a beautiful, solitaire diamond pendant but this heart pendant that he had purchased for Sonja was made with several baguette diamonds.  Mike and I got into a disagreement about his hasty choice. “What kind of message are you sending our daughter? We need to fix this!” I felt really bad when I overheard his telephone conversation with the jeweler, “You made it too big, and now my wife is really upset!”

There is a principle and an order in a family; the mother comes before the daughter because she’s the queen and the daughter is the princess. In real life and in fairy tales the queen’s tiara is always more beautiful than that of the princess.  If we as parents  do not honor the role of the matriarch and patriarch, then the children will not understand their proper roles. Purchasing this pendant for Sonja might indicate that she was more important than me. Any therapist would agree with me that to give this message to your daughter is a form of spoiling your child. In no sense of the word was I jealous,; I was indignant and I needed to prove my point.  Mike was innocent in this situation; he never intended to hurt me or to put our daughter before me. He was simply being the loving father that he has always been. The same goes for a mother-son-relationship; the husband should always be allowed to provide and protect while the mother nurtures.

 

Mike and me and my heart pendant

The next day Mike and I returned to the jewelry mart and  Mike  told me to go ahead and pick out some diamond earrings. “Who said I wanted earrings?” I asked. Mike looked puzzled when he asked me, ” Well, what do you want?” I replied, “I want a diamond heart pendant.” The heart pendant that I chose was different from Sonja’s; mine is a more traditional classic design.

Sonja got to keep her heart pendant, but lost it in the waters of the French Riviera when she was studying abroad. I still have mine. On Sonja’s twenty-first birthday we had the jeweler make her a duplicate heart pendant like the one she lost. Now she has a greater appreciation for the special heart pendant and wears it often.

Passing The Jewelry Torch

When Sonja graduated from college, Mike and I purchased what would be her last piece of jewelry from us. I declared that from this point on in her life, it would be the responsibility of her future husband to gift her with jewelry.

Every Christmas Russ takes Lucas and Jacob shopping for Sonja; the boys love to buy their mother jewelry.

Today

When It comes to jewelry I am a minimalist, the older I get the less I desire worldly things like jewelry or high-end handbags. I would never purchase anything out of my budget because it’s ostentatious. I do love shoes, but I would never pay full price for footwear.  Besides when you reach the pearly gates all these shiny, fancy things will have no use.

The Heart Represents Love

Love is the answer to many of our worldly problems. Loving God and putting Him first in our lives will direct our path to peace. The love the Lord has for us can only be described as that He loved us so much that He gave His life for us. There is no greater love than that!

My Prayer

Dear Lord, pour Your love over all those who are lonely, despondent or feel unloved. Lord, heal the broken hearted, especially all those people who have lost so many loved ones with the recent earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Lord, restore their faith and replenish their hope in You. Amen.

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My Heart of the Matter

Miley Cyrus Stop The Torment

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Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus’ song Flowers is a song about revenge and self-love. The lyrics expose her raw emotions following the break-up of her marriage to her husband Liam Hemsworth. It quickly shot up to number one on the Billboard charts.

I had experienced five days of restless nights. After attending Mass Thursday morning I received the revelation as to why. We Catholics have many feast days; Thursday was the Presentation of our Lord. The providence of God with this special day comes two fold. On Wednesday our Bible study subject was from Luke Chapter 2, the Presentation of The Lord. Our Blessed Mother Mary had to go through the Old Testament rituals of purification.  Thursday’s Mass reading was the same verse we studied! The second connection? For the past 33 days I have been preparing my spirit through prayer for the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary. Thursday, the same day that Joseph and Mary presented Jesus in the Temple, was my actual day of Consecration to Jesus. The connection is divine because I had no idea that these two days would coincide with the completion of my prayers.

The Attack

Because I suffer greatly from environmental allergies, I asked Mike to purchase Flonase, an antihistamine to relieve my problem.  I take an over-the-counter allergy pill on a regular basis, but due to all the rain and mold in the air, my body suffered with itchy eyes, and itchy face, neck and head. I felt like an abandoned street dog loaded with fleas. Right before going to bed I took a good dose of the Flonase in each nostril. I organized my four pillows as usual: the Euro sham I set on a chair; and the decorative pillow I use as support so that the bed does not eat my regular pillows. The last two pillows I form into an  “T” shape; it’s a long ritual but it works. But this time, my heart started beating at an accelerated rate, and I kept readjusting the pillows, I was miserable!

The Spiritual Battle

After Jesus’ Baptism Satan attacked Him in the desert. This temptation occurred right before the beginning of His earthly ministry. Jesus fasted for 40 days; He was hungry. Satan knew how weak our Lord was, so he took the opportunity to tempt Him. (Matthew 4:1-11). 

Satan attacks us when we are physically vulnerable. Our minds give into the pain, because we are too weak to pray. This is when we need others to intercede on our behalf.

The tormenting clock

The Clock

We have this beautiful, antique pendulum clock that needs rewinding. Our grandson Jacob decided that we should wind up the old girl and put her to use. At first the chiming was charming, a welcoming sound – but that shortly changed. Because of my restless nights, the clock turned into an evil reminder, taunting me that I was still awake. At twelve midnight it sounded 12 times and then once on the half-hour. Of course if I can’t sleep neither can Mike; all my tossing and turning wakes him up. “I can’t sleep!” I cried out. Mike tried to calm me down by telling me that I’m too busy, that I have too many things on my mind. I answered, “Maybe it’s that stupid Flonase, maybe I took too many sniffs!” Mike replied, “You know that stuff cost $50 at Costco.”  I told him,”You need to return it, it’s making me crazy!” Poor Mike.

Flowers In My Head

I grab the special Rosary on my night stand and start to pray. Then the song  Flowers by Miley Cyrus starts playing in my head! “I can buy myself flowers, write my name in the sand, talk to myself for hours,” etc! With all my mental might I tried to block out the lyrics with a Hail Mary, but to no avail. Over and over again this song tormented my mind and deprived me of much needed sleep. When I finally thought my mind was at ease, the stupid clock would scream loudly with it’s chiming!

The Sacrifice

The Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a daily set of prayers that I needed to set aside special time for. These are long prayers that some days required having to recite the Rosary. So after daily Mass I dedicated time to pray and I did this faithfully for 33 days.  I can proudly announce that I followed all the proper prayers and was ready to consecrate, but then I read that I had to go to confession before the consecration.

My Confession

I praise God that Fr. Gregory was hearing confessions. After Mass I quickly got into line. I was so relieved that there were only two people ahead of me. On the 34th day it was time for the consecration.

The Attack Before The Blessing

Sometimes there are things that we go through that cannot be explained. I believe that the sleep deprivation occurred because I was preparing for the Consecration. It was a means to distract me from the daily prayers. Satan knows that he can’t stop the blessings, but he will do everything in his power to attempt to spoil it. I thank God that we serve a God Who gives us only as much as we can bear. After the Consecration my sleep pattern has returned to normal.

1 Corinthians 10:13    New American Bible (Revised Edition)

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for the beautiful Consecration to You through Your Mother Mary. I pray that the world would understand the powerful role Your Mother plays in our lives. Thank You that through all the distractions, my mind remained steadfast on the prize. I pray for Miley Cyrus, Lord, You bestowed the beautiful gift of singing to her, may she one day use it for Your great Glory. Amen.
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