My Floppy Fish

It is rare that I post to my blog twice in one day, however, we had a very eventful weekend and I didn't want to postpone my thoughts.  Yesterday, May 1st, Sweet Potato made his First Holy Communion.  It was an awesome day.  But let me begin way back to the day he was born.  The first time I held Sweet Potato in my arms I cried and laughed and simply rejoiced for the miracle of this precious life.  One of my first thoughts was "how soon can I get him baptized?"  I was so excited to begin our life with him, which largely included our faith life.  I was moved during his Baptism when Father asked Monkey Toes and I if we were willing to raise him in the faith.  It is a vow that Monkey Toes and I took, and continue to take, very seriously.  After the baptism, I remember thinking how excited I would be when his First Communion Day arrived.  Although at times it seems like it has taken a life-time, in reality, it seems more like yesterday that I was holding my first born in my arms.  These last 8 years have passed quickly and now I have a little boy who received Jesus into his heart.  I am a mother who is truly joyful.

Sweet Potato is a child who when excited, becomes very easily distracted.  Monkey's sister calls him a floppy fish.  It is quite befitting of him - both physically and intellectually.  So pretty much all weekend long he flipped and flopped from one thing to the next.  I would tell him to put his clothes away, and on the way to his room he would get distracted by the kid's folding table and wind up playing Mass (not a horrible thing, but certainly off task).  Or I would ask him to go pick up toys in the yard and he would end up swinging a golf club, completely forgetting why he was outside in the first place.  And so trying to get our home in order for a party was a daunting task, but well worth all of the effort.

On the way to Mass, I noticed that Sweet Potato frequently giggled nervously.  Once in the church, he was hesitant to take candid pictures with his classmates.  As we were lining up for the procession, he started tapping my leg without realizing he was doing that.  While we waited on the steps to enter the church, Monkey Toes gave Sweet Potato a hug and told him he was proud of him.  I had a major lump in my throat after that.  Once we entered the church and began walking down the aisle, I was moved by the number of people present who were there to lend their prayers and support for all the First Communicants.  Monkey Toes got a tear in his eye, right before we went up for communion.  I got a tear in my eye when we returned to our pew after communion.  I gathered Sweet Potato in my arms and just took in the moment.

Sweet Potato was elated on the way home.  He could hardly wait to start the party.  His first question was if he could skip the meal and just have a piece of cake.  I figured that was a reasonable request.  Sweet Potato had a grin on his face for most of the day - a reflection, I believe, of his heart.  With a house full of family and friends and a truly celebratory atmosphere, it was a joyful day for all of us.   Sweet Potato didn't want the day to end.  He begged to stay up late last night.  He fell asleep reading his new Children's Bible.  As we were going to bed last night, Monkey Toes said, "Today was a great day."  I couldn't agree more.