The singing stopped a while ago☀️🙏🏻

‘The singing stopped a while ago’. My granddaughter’s reply to Killian last evening when he wondered if Nan was asleep already’. What a beautiful reply! (I must be asleep if I stopped singing).

Holy Mass this morning in compact Church of my childhood. Myriad memories packed with joy and gratitude warming the cockles of my heart. Sitting in the pew with our dear Dad, all eight of us. Someone told me recently he would walk up the aisle just ahead of us and then wait until each one of us had entered the pew, before sitting down himself. 

Eight pairs of shiny shoes polished by Dad specially for Holy Mass.

Singing all the way to Holy Mass. Singing all the way home again. Funny, I don’t ever recall feeling hungry and yet we were out of home for many hours. Perhaps a whole bunch of theology packed into that!! We were being fed spiritually every step of the way. Goodness, truth and beauty all around.

To this very day we sing all the time, my siblings and I. Mostly unaware that we are actually singing. Second nature!

Dear Mom waiting patiently in our humble home for our glad return. Much appreciated dinner waiting for us too on our old well-used stove.

My dear granddaughter’s beautiful reply gifted my heart with the most glorious of memories, this snowy Sunday in deepest Kerry.

‘Real goodness is always simple. Simplicity is so attractive and so profitable that it is strange that so few people are really simple’. (Leo Tolstoy)

Holy Crib highlight of our childhood Christmas and still is to this very day.

Visitor guy to our village took our family photograph every Christmas Day. This is our last one. Our dear Dad died the following September. 🙏🏻❤️