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Cathy C. Hallhttps://cathychall.wordpress.com/I write, write, write. Then I rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. THEN I submit all those polished-up words out into the world and sell 'em. It's a plan that's worked pretty well.

The “If” Moments

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horse-shoe-lucky-western-hoof-70085I came across an article in my paper this morning that brought to mind an old nursery rhyme, a favorite of mine:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

The earliest known written version of this rhyme appeared in 1390. 1390! So we’ve understood for a long, long time that our actions have consequences!

If the military had followed through and filed paperwork, if a sheriff had pursued charges of sexual assault, if information had gone to the proper authorities, then a man in Texas might never have been able to purchase weapons and twenty-six people might still be with us today. For want of a paper, a form, a charge…

We often think about that nursery rhyme in terms of how bad things can happen if we’re not careful, not attentive to taking care of the little things. But the smallest of our actions can just as readily have a positive impact.

If a teacher offers to stay after school to help a struggling student, if a cashier spends a few extra minutes to talk to the elderly widower shopping on Senior Discount Day, if you or I take a moment to write an encouraging note to a friend whose work has been rejected once again, then maybe a life will be changed for the better.

For want of a smile, a kind word, a listen…

Yep, our lives are filled with those “if” moments. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could make ’em good ones?

 

 

 

All Souls’ Day

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Everyone knows about Halloween. But All Souls’ Day that follows two days later on the heels of Halloween? NoIMG_20170826_115208 (1)t so much.

You might be thinking, “Oh, yeah. I know that celebration. It’s the Day of the Dead. The sugar skulls, the picnics at the cemetery, the music, the painted faces.” It’s right there on Google today, for cryin’ out loud.

Nope, not the same thing.

Though there are connections in the dates celebrated, All Souls’ Day is primarily a Catholic feast day that’s about praying for the dead. In the Catholic tradition, souls must be in a perfect state, free from all sin, in order to enter heaven. And so most of us must go through a purification process, and it’s the prayers of the faithful here on earth who can help. We pray, and the souls wait in Purgatory in the hope to one day be with God.

When I was in Savannah this summer, I walked all around Bonaventure Cemetery one Saturday afternoon. Though my parents are buried there, and the Beneficent Mr. Hall right next to them, I don’t often spend time to visit other areas of the cemetery. But oh my goodness, it’s a beautiful cemetery!

I like to visit old cemeteries. Every tombstone tells a story, I think, and I like to stop and read those stories. The tombstone in the picture above is one of the oldest graves in the cemetery and I was struck by the inscription: Wait and Hope.

That’s just about the most perfect thought for All Souls’ Day.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen

If you’d like to read more about what Catholics believe (and the very interesting legend surrounding this feast day) you can go here.

And here’s a great article from National Geographic called Top 10 Things To Know About the Day of the Dead.

And if you want to take a little tour around Bonaventure Cemetery, here’s a great story from CBS News Sunday Morning. It’s not the same as walking among the tombstones dripping with Spanish moss, the salty breezes blowing at you from the bluff, but it’ll do.