First Communion-At Last

Yes! Sunday is the day! It is Lulu's First Communion Day. She looks so beautiful in her simple ivory gown and veil. So many of the old traditions are lost in today's world but this one seems to have survived church growth and change.

SweetCheeks and I arrive a bit after everyone else. I am keeping her busy for as long as I can. When we get there TPot, TheBrawnyMan & other family members are about 4 rows back from the altar. I sidetrack MyHero, MamasBoy & SecretAgent and we sit in the LAST row with SweetCheeks. Remember her? The one that "hates chuch"? A Catholic church has lots of "rules". Sometimes you stand up, sometimes you sit down, sometimes you kneel. SweetCheeks decided that no matter WHAT rule was applicable at that particular time-she didn't care. She wanted me to draw on the program that we were given. "Hey-dass a cat? Dat dusn't look like a cat to me"...Scribble...scribble...scribble...DAS a cat, Nana. Ummmhummm...I see that now. Dwraw sumthin else...hmmm....how about a dog? Das not a dawg.....scribble...scribble...scribble...DAS a dawg. Oh, yeah...NOW I can see it, plain as day..why did I think a dog needed ears and a nose anyway? 'Whut's dat?" she asks pointing-"That's your invisible friend, Bob," I tell her. "Pfffft-Das not BOB-Bob's haair dusn't luuk like dat! Nana-yuse crazy" she chortles. I don't respond but I am thinking-Hmmmm...Bob is invisble and carrying on converations and I am the crazy one?

Uh-oh...now the singing starts. SweetCheeks lifts her voice in OPRAH to sing along as if she were part of the Mitch Miller band. "I singin OPRAH", she informs me. "Really? Wow! That sounds good, SweetCheeks!" Head nods up and down..."I know, Nana".

Soon, the communion part of the ceremony begins and SweetCheeks decides she has to go to the bathroom...which...by quinkydink, happens to be just past the flowing baptismal. Silence envelopes us as I hurry her down the aisle. As we are making our way back to our pew SweetCheeks spies the baptismal (which she somehow missed on the way out)"HEY! Deres watah in dere, Nana!" (hand reaches out and touches the font of baptismal water & sprays her a bit). "Now I wet-See? I telled you I hate chuch!" she says with a malevolent stare at anyone that happens to be looking at her. Lord, love us-I think we are going to need divine intercession to get through the rest of this service...and so it happens.....Auntie Lynn swoops in and takes SweetCheeks to some blessedly quiet place for a while.

The ceremony continues and Lulu looks lovely as she is blessed. When all is said and done I asked her how it went....she said, "I liked the wine!" And, so, finally & at last, I see my Irish heritage standing before me young and proud. "God bless you, Lulu," I tell her and give her a kiss on her sweet and innocent face. "How about some of the special cake your Mom made?"

Just think only two more to go - Lucy & then~Lord love us all~SweetCheeks. It reminds me of the song that was sung in church during the ceremony......."I Can Only Imagine".