The (snail) Mailbox

I received two REALLY GREAT cards today, which (like most really great cards) simply showed up unexpectedly in my mailbox instead of bills, and inspired me in ways that I certainly wasn't expecting or anticipating. The first was from a current parishioner (and the daughter of one of my predecessors here), which both contained a very touching personal expression of appreciation for me and my ministry, and also sang to me "Day by Day" from the musical "Godspell" -- a song which I also have always loved, although a play which I'm ashamed to say I've never actually seen or heard all the way through... although during roughly that same period of my life I must have worn the groves of my "Jesus Christ Superstar" album down so far that playing it essentially evoked the memory of the music in my mind rather than actually reproducing it anymore.... The second card was even more unexpected, and came from one of my daughter's good friends in Massachusetts, who used to work as a cop in Springfield when Steph was in Graduate School there. On the front there's a picture of a dog with a stethoscope gazing out from a hole in a large apple, with the caption "Scientific evidence now indicates that an APPLE A DAY does indeed keep the DOCTOR AWAY" Open the card and read "the trick is hitting them HARD ENOUGH with the APPLE" accompanied by a drawing of a thrown apple bouncing off of the side of a very surprised Dog/Doctor's head. "OW!" Great stuff....

My mail service here hasn't been too reliable lately, and I'm really getting pretty upset about it -- now that I have the energy to BE upset! My big summer Amazon order made it all the way to the Eastland Hotel (only a few blocks from here, and where I still rent a private study) before the USPS decided that it was "undeliverable" and returned it to the warehouse rather than forwarding it here instead. I know that because I couild TRACK that package; there are still several others (used books from private venders) which have simple disappeared into limbo, and I have no idea even where to begin tracking them down. I've have issues with my internet/cell phone provider as well, but am SO tired of sitting on hold to talk to a person I can hardly understand who tells me that everything will be fine only to find out a month later that nothing has changed at all.... Tired of it!!! And yet -- well, I need to keep reminding myself that having the energy to feel angry and outraged is a GOOD thing... potentially even a HEALING thing... so long as I don't let myself get too distracted by the experience either.

And as for Laurie and Rose and everyone else who has written or e-mailed me privately, I know you're reading this blog, and I want you to know how much I appreciate reading your words as well. At least when they actually arrive! And thanks again for all your encouragement and support. It's truly what inspires me, and keeps me going. Day by Day....