For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.

That was from Matthew's Gospel this past Sunday, the first Sunday of Advent. The first Sunday is traditionally the week of Hope. We wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, despite not knowing which day that might be.

I got up early to attend Mass and go to the gym yesterday. I prayed a rosary before Mass and I was feeling happy when I returned home. Walking around the corner of my house, I saw my husband standing outside, waiting for me. When we greet people outside the door in our home, it's usually a bad sign.

"I have sad news...my mom passed away early this morning." Smack. Indeed you do not know the day or the hour. What a huge shock and great sadness. For all of our ups and downs, this is the woman who raised my husband to be who he is and she, mother and grandmother, is gone. Wow.

So, we push on in hope and know that she is meeting God and her husband (after 30+ years) and our babies that went straight to heaven. It's difficult. We drove all day yesterday to reach her 91-year-old brother in New Jersey so we could deliver the news in person. He is the last of the 4 siblings. It was difficult. We spent half the day there today before driving home through the fog.

The Benjamin Franklin bridge...Philadelphia is out there somewhere.

We will regroup and head to Atlanta for the funeral on Monday then push up to Philadelphia for the burial on Wednesday. It is a grueling schedule. We will all be worn out, emotionally and physically by the time this has reached completion. Still, is there another way? Life isn't easy but neither is death. It's only what comes after that makes it all worth while. We can only teach our children to honor the dead by doing just that.

So, a picture from the obituary guest book. 

Classic Marge

Your prayers would be so welcome at this time. Thank you.

Advent...the only time besides Lent when a pilgrimage immediately after a pilgrimage makes total sense. 

We are blessed.