Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005
I sent the following to a friend of mine that I hadn't been in touch with in a while:
It's been such a terrible summer, with trying to take care of my mother and Alesia and the house and the dog - I've been mentally and physically just exhausted all the time. Mother still hasn't completely recuperated and still needs help bathing and dressing. She can't lift her arms above her shoulder. She also still needs some form of pain medication all the time, though nothing too strong.
I just stopped going to church after the fall in June because I was spending weekends at the hospital or nursing home, and even after Mother came home there was just too much to do on the weekends.
Today I finally went back to church. It seemed particularly important to pray for the hurricane victims, some of whom I know.
Alesia is finally speaking enough English so we can have conversations about God. We went back to All Saints today, just the two of us as Mother was feeling poorly. (I decided to switch back to All Saints because St. Bede's just never felt right, even though it's close.)
Alesia liked the church and wanted to participate in the service. [Yay! Last time we went, to St. Bede's, she acted bored and restless.] She said the prayers and sang the hymns - though alas her voice is absolutely tuneless and I think she's tone deaf...
They baptized 5 babies today. Alesia was delighted to see the babies. This opened the way for me to explain about baptism and confirmation when we were in the car coming home today. I know she believes in God, and we pray before every meal and before bed. But today we were able to talk about faith, and what it means. I explained about the adoption being so difficult, and the choir and so many friends and family praying for her, for us. She looked quite started when I told her about all the prayers that got her here.
I am leaving it up to Alesia as to when she gets baptized and confirmed, but I think going to the excellent youth group at All Saints will help. She also has a little friend who was adopted and that little girl has been baptized and confirmed in their church, so that helps. Peer pressure can be a good thing, LOL.
Hope you are doing well.
XOXO
Dee
