ABC's of Grief..."D"

D: Despair ... a few weeks back now when Fr. Michael was in town from St. Ann's Parish, I mentioned that he gave a great homily at the masses that w/e. I noted that the homily touched me in many ways...well, I emailed him and asked him for a copy of his homily notes so that I could revisit those many ways. He was kind enough to send it and I'd like to share a piece of it:

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Last week I received an email from a woman religious who is an intimate friend and former colleague. She was concerned about how I was coping with posttraumatic stress in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. She too felt a little humor might serve as a good anti-depressant.

Sitting by the window of her convent, Sister Barbara opened a letter from home one evening.

Inside the letter was a $100 bill her parents had sent. Sister Barbara smiled at the gesture.

As she read the letter by the window, she noticed a shabbily dressed stranger leaning against the lamppost below.

Quickly, she wrote, "Don't despair. Sister Barbara," on a piece of paper, wrapped the $100 bill in it.

She got the man's attention and tossed it out the window to him.

The stranger picked it up, and with a puzzled expression and a tip of his hat, he went off down the street.

The next day, Sister Barbara was told that a man was at her door, insisting on seeing her.

She went down, and found the stranger waiting.

Without a word, he handed her a huge wad of $100 bills.

"What's this?" she asked.

"That's the $8,000 you have coming Sister," he replied.

" ’Don't Despair’ paid 80-to-1."
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Despair: to lose all hope...it would be real easy to do that now...wallow in sorrow, cry all day, medicate all day, drink all day---I can't do that and survive. There will be a better day tomorrow...tomorrow may not be next week-it may not come until I meet my maker--but that's ok. I will not live a life of despair.