Fishes and Loaves 2014

Radio silence for nearly two weeks and now you'll quickly tire of me. 

It is that time of year when all my posts seem tinged in purple and bathed in Lenten to dos. A bit pious, I know. But this is a modern day story of fishes and loaves that I thought you'd like. 

I really must come up with a good name for our new school. Our Sweet School will forever be in London, but our current one has really caught us. Has made a soft yet exceedingly strong little net into which we’ve fallen. For which it deserves its very own moniker. And our many thanks for having brought a special little book to us this year.

Our New School (that will do for now) is very faithful. The children celebrate Mass once a week. You’d love seeing over 700 uniformed prayerful children singing and celebrating together. It often brings me to tears (this is where my London friends are thinking “la plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose!" -- apologies for my franglais and American keyboard). The school's Lenten activities include a weekly school wide Stations of the Cross. On the first week I joined them, a sweet boy noticed that I was without this book and shared his with me. Oh this little book! Jesus' passion put into terms and prayers that somehow children from tiny to big (and me, too) can understand. Made real to our everyday. And don’t even get me started on the circa 1960s illustrations. It is a testament to how well my own children know me that they knew I’d love that book as they read it!

So I had to have my own copy. Which is likely how you’ve also come to have your own, too. You see, in trying to find a copy of this sweet little book, I found a bunch at a church supply company. They are starting to distribute a modern translation (with new illustrations -- eeegads!) but they had one box of the original left. Did I want that one? Yes, please. With expedited shipping.

So I gave some to my new Nashville girlfriends, many of whom used that very book when they were students at Our New School. Then I sent some to family and my London girlfriends. To girlfriends I’ve known since I was a girl. To many families who dot our address book and Christmas card list from Europe to Illinois and Brazil. Those little books went all around the globe and took a bit of me with them. For days on end I’d remember more families who might enjoy a copy and my piles for the mailbox grew. It seemed I was forever dropping another stack in the post.

But after mailing them out all Lent and defying all logic and number crunching, there is still a healthy little stack left in the box. Waiting for new friends. For another place and another time. Another Lent and new lessons to be learned. 

So many little loaves fed so many and yet, there is still so much to share. 

What a blessing. Really.

And while I didn’t in any way mean for all this sharing of something had come so quietly to us to elicit a gaggle of responses, it sure has. And delightfully so. I’ve heard from friends far and wide. That should be joyful, but Lent is full of mixed feelings and even this project included bitter with sweet. It is a delight to know that these little books tie us together at this season and will for future Lents too. But maybe it also reminded me of all those miles that separate us. 

I love the thought of a big celebration and every week at Mass, and of course Easter, is just that. I love pondering a reading and knowing those same stories are touching the ears of my friends in Virginia, La Grange, London, and across Europe and South America. Separated by hours and miles to be sure, but there is a real happiness in that communion. 

All around the world.  I hope you enjoy the little book. And you can be sure that I have more for your new friends, too. xo