Coming full circle

Couldn't wait to come home this evening from my Faith Formation class to check my jewelry box for rosary beads. I was so thrilled to find, yes, FOUR sets of beautiful rosaries. There was one from St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC when Jay and I went after we were married and another from the Alfonsos when they went to Europe. The reason I was so excited to find them is that I was completely inspired in our class today -- of course this class is a preparatory class for our kids, but it is amazing how going "back to basics" can completely revitalize you.

I don't know if I can claim to be an extremely religious person. I went to private school most of my life, but I definitely lost touch in the last 6-7 years...got caught up with life. There was always something else to do rather than go to Mass. And I definitely feel badly about that. But, like the full circle of the rosary, I feel as though I am back....We went to Mass as a family for the first time in years. And how comforting that when I was there, I knew someone in front of me, behind me, and on either side of me: again, full circle and I felt at home. I felt as though this is where I was supposed to be. It makes me smile watching Sofia go off with the other K & 1st graders during the middle of Mass to do whatever it is they do. And her giving me the thumbs up as she passed my aisle reassured me that yes, everything is going to be A-OK!

It is our job now as parents to continue the traditions and the teachings that we learned growing up. I used to put a lot of pressure on myself about the right prayer or the exact words to say; but I was reminded today in class that a prayer can be as simple as just a few words. Want to bring my kids back to basics. I am so fortunate that my parents, and I'm so happy that Jay's parents, raised us to be church-going Catholics. I heard an interesting poll on the radio today that a large majority of Millenials (those aged 18-29) believe that a business executives' religious beliefs should influence their business decisions. I hope that things will come full circle when our morals and our beliefs will be the main force driving our decision-making. I don't mean to step up on the soap box, because this is a personal issue, but I do have a responsibility to my two girls and I will work hard to ensure that they are confident enough in themselves to make decisions based on the basic principles that we all learned growing up.

Amen!