Going the Distance...Together

I am from a good-sized family: three older sisters and two younger brothers. One brother is about a year younger, the other about six years (I like to call him my “baby brudder,” especially to his kids, which of course doesn't make much sense to them since we both are "old").

Being close in age, my first brother and I played together quite a bit. We used to wrestle and argue a lot, too. Sometimes we would fight just because we were bored. And – back then – it was more fun to fight than to talk it out. (About the time he reached puberty and suddenly got stronger than me I  decided it was safer to negotiate.)

My other, youngest brother has three sons. Two of them are close in age, and they fight a lot. I know my nephews love each other, because they also play together all the time. But it also was not unusual to come into the house and hear their raised voices (and at an ear-piercing pitch, since their voices haven't changed yet). If they are really going at it, one of them will eventually get frustrated and then the other gets hurt.

The other day it was calm and quiet my sister-in-law told me that the boys had given up fighting for Lent. How awesome is that? I think it’s pretty good evidence of their growing maturity. One of things I love about their choice for a sacrifice is that it is so clearly relational and positive. It also requires them to practice self-control.

Paul (the youngest boy) will be making his First Communion in May this year, and I have learned that he has been asking some great questions and thinking some deep thoughts. In a quiet moment that evening I told him how impressed I was that they chose to give up fighting for Lent, and then asked him how it was going. “Not so good,” he said. But even that is cool – he is able to reflect on his own actions and make a determination of progress. I said I was really proud of them for taking it on. It actually deepened my own resolve to keep my Lenten commitments.

We are on this Lenten journey together, adults and children, as family and as community. That means we can inspire, support and encourage each other to go the distance.