Seven Quick Takes--Fourth Friday of Lent

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We’ll start with some business. :) First, if you have read my book, please leave a review on Amazon! That helps more people find it (the more reviews, the more it shows up in Amazon “related items” or whatever.)

Second, Ave Maria Press is having an ebook sale, and Living Memento Mori is part of it!

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Last week, as you know, I wrote all about Billy. You have probably seen the post from Monday, where I wrote about his death. Thank you, again, for all the comments, thoughts, and prayers for my friend, her husband, and their little boy. It’s so comforting to know that people are, as Anne Frank said, “really good at heart.”

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Here in Ohio, we’re basically shut down. We’re told to stay inside unless it’s an essential thing—like, you must work, or get groceries or food, or things like that. We can go out to exercise, as well, sot hat’s helpful. But just going out to go out and in groups is, um, discouraged highly. I live alone, so most of my days are spent in my own company, but the hardest thing is not being in contact with people—no hugs. No touching. It’s rough. I mean I’m not a hugely touchy-feely person, but I do like parental hugs! And I haven’t had any in a month (or thereabouts). Sigh. Oh well. It could be worse.

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The knitting is a lot of comfort knitting—I went into my stash and broke it down into types of yarn and then projects I can do with each type. Right now I’ve got two garter stitch scarves going and I’m going to make some washcloths with the stash of cotton dishcloth yarn I have here—why I bought so much, no idea. But knitting keeps my hands busy and it’s nice to have the feeling of getting something done and working on a project with a definitive, easy to see end! :)

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I dunno if we really need more memento mori art, but here’s one of St. Catherine of Siena:

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As far as churches go, we’re shut down at least through April 6, which is Palm Sunday. I would bet that there won’t be public celebrations of Holy Week, which is just….weird. I mean, weirder then Mass not happening publicly. I am very much hoping for streaming services for these. The Triduum liturgies are so beautiful! And my birthday is on Holy Thursday this year! That’s always special and to not have the Mass is just….again, weird. That’s really the only word I can use right now. WEIRD.

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What are you reading, writing, doing, cooking—whatever-ing—during this time? Share your ideas in the comments!

Seven Quick Takes--Billy

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OK, I have a really freaking great story to tell all of you, if you don’t know it already, but first business: Ave Maria Press is having an ebook sale and my book is included! So go get it!

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OK so, it’s story time.

My Bestest Friend, Tiffany, and her husband, Bill, are some of the nicest people in the world. I won’t say the nicest people because I haven’t met everyone in the world. :)

I have known Tiffany since September of 1996, when we were seated next to each other in Theater I at PHS. (Alphabetical last names). And we just hit it off.

One of her best gifts is that she is absolutely calm and chill about everything. I had to do my treatments in front of her while we were on choir tour? No biggie. I’m injecting myself with insulin? Whatever. I’m in the hospital? OK, cool, can I come visit? She always treated me absolutely normally.

I spent a lot of summer days at her parents’ house, eating dinner with them, even going on vacation with them. We’ve seen Broadway shows together, we have inside jokes…(“Zazu, why am I not….loved?”)

Me and Tiff.

Her husband, Bill, is the perfect person for her. I was so happy when she met him (one of our friends fixed them up, thanks Gary!) and they got married, because he’s such a wonderful guy, and she deserves a wonderful guy!

We’ve been friends for almost twenty-five years.

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So, when Tiff and Bill were expecting their first baby, I was thrilled for them. A baby! YES!

And we were all excited….until he got a really bad diagnosis. So bad that he wasn’t expected to live very long after birth.

Tiff and Bill decided that it didn’t matter—they were going to love on him as long as they had him. They took him places (the zoo, the aquarium, the symphony, the movies), read to him, played music for him, and wrote him letters in journals that they each kept. They wanted to make as many memories as possible with him while he was inside Tiffany and alive.

They named him—Billy the IV. :)

His birthday was set to be St. Patrick’s Day. He has encephalocele, and they didn’t want to risk Tiff going into labor, so Billy was a scheduled C-section.

They arranged for their pastor to be there to baptize him. In the midst of all the virus craziness, the hospital allowed their parents and siblings to come, because they knew time would be short.

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But.

He didn’t die.

He lived.

And is still living.

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Billy is eating. He’s sleeping, he’s grasping his daddy’s finger, he looks at his mommy’s face when she coos at him. He yawns and gives us looks of disdain. :)

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They get to take him home. They get to be parents! At home! Something they didn’t think they’d ever get to do!

I told Tiff last night that I’d never prayed for someone as much as I’d prayed for them and Billy. My prayer journals are full of notes about Billy and his parents, and really desperate prayers for them, for healing, for peace, for…everything, really.

I’ve written many times, including in my book, that God is not a vending machine. Prayer is not a vending machine. We don’t get to say God is good only when he gives us what we want.

God is always good, even when we can’t see it. God always loves us.

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But right now, in this period of time when we all need miracles and good news, we have one—we have Billy and his amazing parents. We have a little boy who was supposed to die, and who is living. This time with him is a precious and amazing gift, and the fact that my friends get to take home a baby, A LIVE BABY, something they didn’t think they’d get to do, is cause for praise to God.

This morning, Billy was taking a nap with his dad. Something that countless babies do—that I did—that you probably did, with one of your parents. But a priceless gift to them.

God is being very good to us.

I shall not die, but I shall live,
    and recount the deeds of the Lord.

—psalm 118:17

Billy the IV with Bill the III