A Sweet Reward to a Brutal Week

Every single one of my co-faculty said it: Last week was tough.  Even the seasoned ones looked worn out by Friday.  We don't know why but the kids were really pushing the envelope left and right.

All the more reason to look forward to hitting the road Saturday morning, headed to Baltimore with my parents, to celebrate my great-aunt's 60th jubilee as a religious sister.

What, doesn't everybody have a relative in a religious order?  I have two. The other one is another great-aunt, the older sister of my Balto-based great-aunt, who passed away when I was in 8th grade, shortly after she'd celebrated 50 years as a nun.  We always ask her to put in a good word for us with the Lord to give us good weather for family get-togethers.  

While we did have rain in the morning, as we went south we could see the blue skies peeking through and later we took pictures outside in the sunshine-y patio in the middle of Aunt K's retirement place.  

As an aside, encountering so many nuns in one place is kind of nice--they were so friendly to us and they were all giving Aunt K congratulatory words and hugs.  There was another sister who was celebrating 70 years; she was born in Ireland and had transferred to Maryland to teach in the '70s.  (Such a lovely brogue!)  And the sister who made all the arrangements for Mass and lunch told me I had nice skin.


About a dozen and a half of us relatives showed up for Mass--and we like to sing, so that made the woman who led the singing really, really happy.  Then we got a yummy lunch--crabcakes! The lady who cooks for them is amazing and she remembered when my parents last visited and my dad was raving about the cornbread!  I got to sit with Younger Sister and catch up on the new house she just bought and all the work her fiance's doing to it.  (Yeah, posting in the near future about all that on SOSOB.)  Mom took an awesome photo of "her girls."  It just felt nice to get away for a day and celebrate a happy occasion, even if it wasn't for very long because it's easy to wear out a 90-something nun who usually has a quiet daily schedule.  But I know she was happy to see us.

Oh, sure, there were the usual weird things my relatives always do.  I should make a BINGO card.  Lecture from my aunt about how I'm so wrong about something? Check! This time around it was about how I am so closed-minded for saying I'm not into praise music when she's so sure I haven't listened to it.  Really? I can name three online friends who really like it so no, I'm not making a blind statement.  I think she just likes to pick a fight with me because she knows how to push my buttons.  And I still fall for the trap from time to time.  

Weird statement by my uncle about his current relationship? Check!  At least he didn't ask me about my love life.  This time.

But overall, it was just a nice visit with some family, and really heartening celebration.

I think we all needed that.  

Renewal of vows in the chapel during Mass.
Her order no longer wears a habit, but she always wears blue!

(I had to edit the post to include the delicious lunch menu!)