Sheila Sims Iding
Oh…Care Corner is all abuzz with Puppy Week. We are abuzz with the responsibility of “real” puppies. We have drilled it into their little pet loving heart. Into their little pet caring beings.
- don’t forget to care for the puppies
- don’t forget to take them out
- don’t forget they need exercise
- don’t forget to make sure they always have water
- don’t forget to feed them once a day
- don’t forget to kennel them when you leave them
- don’t forget to keep them safe
- don’t forget they are “real”…at least this week.
Yesterday in all the scurry of the end of the day and “realness” of puppy week, we worked hard when we were running out of time. We worked hard to make sure we didn’t forget anything even though the buses were coming and time was of the essence. If you are a responsible puppy owner, you work hard to remember what is important. You try hard not to forget.
Well as the scurry was settling down and we said our sending prayer, we were getting ready to quickly…and I mean quickly…gather for Friendship Circle. I was checking the clock to make sure we would even have time for our sending song and while I was moving almost as fast as my mind was racing, a little voice…maybe two or three little voices reminded me I was forgetting. Forgetting? The puppies had been taken out, they had food and water, they were safely kenneled for the night. Forgetting?
That is when the little voices said in unison “What about our Novena? We forgot to pray our Novena” Wow! And Whoa! Our Novena. Our 9-day prayer to St. Gerard. Nine continuous days of prayer. Key word: continuous. In the midst of all the puppy busy-ness, all the puppy jobs, all the responsibilities of real puppies…I forgot to pray our Novena…our special prayer to St. Gerard in honor of his feast day. We are praying for Fr. Martin and Mrs. Howard and her new baby. We are praying for our school and our parish. We are praying to do God’s will as He wills…just like St. Gerard used to pray. And…I forgot.
I spend a lot of time on lesson plans and activities to teach these kids but I am always aware that there are moments in the day when they are teaching me. Yesterday while I was busy teaching them the responsibility of being a puppy owner and the don’t-forgets list, they were teaching me the priorities of being a faith-filled Christian…don’t forget to pray. Lesson learned. (I have the best little teachers.)