Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Dear Diary


March 22, 1955

Dear Diary,

Before the sun even dared to peek above the horizon, Sister Mary Claire and I found ourselves emerging from the cocoon of our warm beds at 4:30 a.m. The house was still, save for the faint whispers of dawn, as Judy hummed softly, preparing a hearty breakfast of hot oatmeal. Rich with heavy cream and butter, it was the kind of meal that fortified the soul for the day ahead.

Today was no ordinary day; it was Creamery Day, an event marked by responsibility and trust. Tom had tasked Sister Mary Claire and me with delivering the week’s precious bounty—a cream can brimming with heavy cream, freshly separated from the milk, leaving only skim for the eager chickens.

With the cream can secured, we made our way to Des Moines, the creamery looming ahead as a new adventure for us both. Along the way, I marveled at the subtle signs of spring, the tender shoots of green promising new life.

In the creamery, amidst the clinking of cans and the rich, buttery scent in the air, I offered a silent commendation to Our Lady, entrusting the day's efforts and our safe return to her gentle care:

"O HOLY Mary, my sovereign Lady, into thy blessed trust and special custody and into the bosom of thy mercy do I this day and every day, and at the hour of my death, commit my soul and my body; to thee I commit all my hope and happiness, all my anxieties and miseries, my life and the end of my life, that through thy most holy intercession and through thy merits all my actions may be guided and governed according to thine and thy Son’s will. Amen." (The Inner Court Prayer Book) 

As evening descended, Sister Mary Claire and I, with hearts full of the day’s experiences, gathered in the Inner Court wagon. Tom had lit a small fire that danced with the same life as the stories we shared. The day closed with prayers from The Inner Court prayer book, a serene end to a day laden with duty and touched by the grace of the Holy Mother.

With gratitude and tired eyes, I bid this day farewell.

Kathy


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