Silly Bands and Silly Kids

Another small child walked into Mass this morning and knelt in the pew in front of me. He was wearing a school uniform shirt, a white shirt with a blue collar, and the same blue trim at the end of his short sleeves. He was also wearing faded Hulk sweatpants and like all youngsters here -- no shoes. His shirt was dirty, but then I was thinking how is an 8 year olds' shirt ever clean. They play everywhere, and everywhere has the red dust that flies up from the earth as little feet laugh and play on it. I would like to see that commercial from the 70s where housewives argue what is the toughest dirt to remove. It would be real funny I think to place in the middle of the middle class conversation, an Anakan mom who washes the dirty clothes of their children by hand .

I remember at Priory, we were encouraged to see Christ in all human beings, that was quite easy today, as my young friend smiled at me during the Sign of Peace, and then looked back several times in the next minute to smile again. It was almost as if he thought I might be a dream, and if he did not check up on me, I would be gone.

After Mass, I handed out 3 or 4 Silly Bands that I brought for just this occasion to the small children. I also hand them out to the 3 high school students that were with me. Mickey and Agnes (two young girls that I had met yesterday) and Dennis (whom I had met earlier when Father Leonsyo arrived home) and I walked to school together. They asked me about farming in America, (I really need a better answer for that question, it gets asked every year), they asked me about Sunday in America. I told them about our traditions of many who eat a big meal (breakfast) after Church on Sundays. I told them I loved breakfast and I loved food. I also told about family meals of 17 on Sundays. They asked me about this, and I told them, "My mom is the best cook in America, that is why I am so big, I always eat her food."

They laughed and asked where not my friends big too, because they would have eaten my mother's food also. I then told them how tall Erin and Kurt are...


John