What's Your Word for the Year?

I've discovered the Sirius XM Catholic Channel and I spent all day yesterday listening to Catholic talk radio as I drove the six hours from Kentucky to Alabama.

And what does that have to do with "Word"? Well, here it is almost March, and almost time for Lent to begin and I did not really make a New Year's resolution so I've been really mulling over some good Lenten sacrifice ideas the last couple of weeks. And then I happened upon radio talk show host and blogger Jennifer Fulwiler's show. Yesterday was a repeat show from January and I really enjoyed listening to Jennifer Fulwiler interviewing a lady named Katherine Whitaker about Instagram videos of cleaning her home, Catholic schools week and their Word for the Year.

Word for the Year. What does that mean? Over the last few years I had a couple of Facebook friends talk about their word for the year. I never really paid attention but the premise is that instead of making a long list of New Year's resolutions of behaviors you want to change about yourself, define your year with one word. A theme word, if you will.

This conversation really spoke to me as I've been very preoccupied with what I'm going to do for Lent as I haven't really taken it very seriously for the last few years. Both Jennifer Fulwiler and Katherine Whitaker shared their "word" for 2017 and also shared words from past years. Jennifer's word for 2017 is "listen" and she defined it as taking time to listen more to her family, to others and to God this year. Katherine's word for the year is "flourish".

How do you choose or decide on your "word for the year". This morning I took to google to learn more what other people had to say about the word for the year. Here is a piece from over at Huffington Post about how to choose your word.

You can research your word like Katherine Whitaker did or you can let your word just come to you naturally like Jennifer Fulwiler does.

So, after all of that, do I have a word? Yes. As I was driving and listening one word came to me. "Bloom".

"Bloom" is so perfect. Our family moved from Hawaii to Alabama this past summer. In the past whenever we move, I jump into volunteer activities and trying to meet new friends right away. I had a pretty turbulent last year in Hawaii which made me very skittish about stepping up to any extra-curricular activities. So, I've been hiding for the last 8 months or so. I've chosen to not take any risks or go out of my way to be overly social. No church activities, no Girl Scout volunteering, no big projects. The only thing I allowed myself was to go to the spouses club luncheons and help out where needed, definitely not being in charge of anything big!

On top of that, Alabama hasn't been my favorite duty station so far. Y'all, it is so freaking hot here. After living in vacation resort areas for the last twenty-one years, my body does not know how to take this heat. Even in the winter, it is hot. I could list a few other things that don't make me too happy, like being 90 minutes away from the nearest interstate, being even further away from an airport, a lack of cultural activities, and so on. I really have been counting down to how soon can we leave. And then the husband? He loves it here and wants to stay forever!

So, "Bloom". How does that define me for 2017? I'm here, in Alabama, for the time being. I can't stay hidden forever. I might as well "bloom" while I'm here. It's time to join more church activities. It's time to be a little more social. It may be time to go back for some schooling. It's just time to bloom.

It is February 22nd today, here in lower Alabama. The temperature outside is in the 70's which is normal for this area. And these flowers are blooming on the bushes in the front of my house.

Will you choose a word for the year?
How will you let your word define you and encourage you through Lent and the rest of 2017?

The March for Life 2017: Why We March, Part Four

After Vice-President Pence's motorcade left it was time to start lining up for the actual march. The rally ran long and many marchers had already made their way to the street to line up.

Mariana and I grabbed our ropes and positioned ourselves on the left side of the opening marchers. Students from Mary University in North Dakota were the opening marchers to carry the banners. Next up were the VIP marchers which included many of the rally speakers and Jeanne Mancini, the president of March for Life.

Here we are at the front waiting for everyone to get in place. Since the march was late starting, many marchers had already positioned themselves in the streets. The DC police had to clear out the intersection so the official start of the march could begin. While we were waiting, this lovely lady walked by in her hand-crocheted hat. If you remember, there was another march the week before and a pattern was offered on the website for those marchers to make in advance. I love what this pro-life marcher did with her hat!

In the middle of that crowd of people are the very important peeps. I wish I could name them all for you but I can assure you that Mariana knew who almost all of them were. Right in the middle is Jeanne Mancini herself. We were told Kelly Anne Conway was marching and would be in this group but she had a very busy schedule that day and couldn't make the march.

And how cute is this guy? A lady with a strong north eastern accent came up to me and started asking questions about the parade route and I was explaining that this was the beginning of the march. We looked over toward the students and she said "hey, that's my Cardinal!". Cardinal Sean Patrick O'Malley of the Boston archdiocese was posing in front of the opening banners with Mary University students.

And then I did some fangirling myself. Standing and marching right beside me was Father Frank Pavone, head of the pro-life Priests for Life group. I know he has been quite controversial lately but there he was! Next to me. I later went to his Facebook page and he had shared live video from the beginning of the march and I caught myself and Mariana in it quite a few times!

Marching in this parade was incredibly overwhelming. Because I was holding a rope I wasn't able to get many pictures during the march itself but I suppose this kept me grounded in my reasons for marching.

There were many sights along the way that brought me to tears.

The youth. So many young people from all over the United States. This is our future. The experience of travelling by bus for thousands of miles and marching in this peaceful expression of solidarity to "save the babies" will most definitely leave a mark on these kids and on our culture for decades to come. We may not win the war on abortion now but I saw the future on this day.

A middle-aged priest standing in an intersection with tears running down his face as he watched the marchers.

Another very excited man standing on the sidewalk in a large group when he sees the banner and all of the flags: "there have already been hundreds of thousands of marchers before you."

A group of women and children standing on the sidewalk with pink signs that said "Mother by rape, I love my life". "Born of rape, I love my life".

Another sidewalk group of women with signs that read "I regret my abortion".

A group of women holding signs that said "Trigger warning ahead." "Disturbing images ahead". Thank you, ladies, for warning us.

The section of the march where there were no bystanders at all. Only an overwhelmingly giant banner symbolizing the murder of babies as an offering to satan. And a speaker blaring a baby screaming and crying over and over again. I felt this was an unnecessary part for the march and was most likely not organized by the March for Life committee. The students we were marching next to were very animated during the march with catchy chants and songs but during this section they were very quiet as we passed. It was incredibly unsettling.

Passing the Supreme Court steps where people were already kneeling in prayer and women were giving testimonies about regretting their abortions. Silent No More.

Finally ending in front of Congress and standing and watching for another hour and a half as more and more groups marched by. Mariana and I stood and talked with a group of young seminarians who told us that hundreds of thousands of people had already marched by. They couldn't believe that we were the beginning! I think that at the beginning when the police were trying to clear the intersection so we could begin those groups that had already staged themselves just started marching!

It was all amazing and overwhelming. I came away knowing that I was supposed to be there on this day. I also know that next year I will be back but not as a volunteer marcher but with a group from the Wiregrass area of Alabama. And we will travel by bus, spending one or two nights sleeping in our seats. And next year, I will get to attend the youth events the night before and the rally as a spectator.

Stay tuned, you guys! My March for Life did not end on January 27th, 2017!! It has only just begun!

The March for Life 2017: Why We March, Part Three

Total Fan Girl.

Yep, that's what I did when I realized where I was and what I was doing in this March for Life.

We were steps away from the VIP area behind the Rally stage where all of the speakers, media, performers and Very Important Peeps were going to be. Some Knights of Columbus volunteers were designated to stand guard in front of the stage during the music and the speeches. And did I mention that Vice-President Mike Pence was coming to give a speech? I was not one of stage volunteers but how awesome for those guys!

Mariana and I decided we needed to go to the bathroom and that meant we needed to go through the security tent to get into the VIP area. Really, we just wanted to snoop around backstage.

This was the VIP security tent

While standing in line to be screened the members of TransformDJs were rushed through because they were about to go on stage.

And look who was behind us in line: Yep, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Mariana was a total fan-girl.

And once we got through security, we stalked Cardinal Dolan and got a selfie with him!

Over to the side was the media tent where reporters were interviewing some of the speakers. Mariana recognized several EWTN reporters. And oh, look! There's Teresa Tomeo!

After we made our porta-potty stop, we wandered up to the front of the stage and took a few photos of the crowd and the stage while TransformDJs performed.

After heading back to wait at the RV, we were told that the area was being cleared before Vice-President Pence was due to arrive. The RV left and we were moved past the barricades behind dump trucks. We did not get to hear any of the speeches or see Vice-President Pence but Mariana and I watched the Facebook live feed of the rally.
Oh, here's my photo of VP Pence's motorcade.

And then it was time to line up for the March!
Next blog, part four!

The March for Life: Why We March, Part Two

Friday morning found me attending Mass at 7am at Holy Family Catholic Church in Dale City, Va. I knew immediately who my host was when I walked through the doors even though we hadn't met and her Facebook profile was a picture of a flag. I sat several rows behind Mariana and her husband and could see her looking over her shoulder trying to find me.

But let me back up. Mass! I knew it was important that I needed to attend Mass before heading to the March for Life. To have this as part of my arrangements with my host was so much part of the details that God had already planned for me. How amazing was it that I was staying in Manassas and that my Army wife friend connected me to another friend who also lived in Manassas? Truly, all part of the plan.

After Mass, I met Mariana and her husband Dom and we walked out to the RV she had mentioned before. Turns out the RV was for the Knights of Columbus of Virginia and it's purpose was to provide donuts, hot coffee and lunch for the knights who were volunteering at the March as well as giving a ride downtown to the members from Holy Family. There were 14 of us all together and we filled every available seat and the bed in the back. At this point it still wasn't clear to me what my role was going to be in the march. I was just very happy for the ride and was expecting to be dropped off somewhere to join in with the masses of people.

After pleasant conversation during the 40 minute drive to DC, we pulled into a street behind Washington Monument. You guys! The street was blocked off and they waved us through the barricade! And a DC K9 police officer walked around the RV and then told us we could go. The RV pulled up directly behind the Washington Monument and we all tumbled out. We were in a restricted area, right behind the monument and the March for Life Rally stage. It was almost 9am and you could begin to hear music and see people starting to arrive. And I was just standing there soaking in this experience, along for the ride!

Another vehicle pulled up shortly after us and the organizer of the Virginia Knights of Columbus was with them. They began to pass out hats and white windbreaker jackets to the men and somebody told me I needed to get a hat and windbreaker. And then it occurred to me.
I was a volunteer.
I wasn't just coming to the march to be a part of something huge, to share my voice with more 500,000 other people with the same voice.
God had provided a specific role for me and it was to volunteer.
I found out a bit later that we would be holding a rope that cordoned off the start of the march from they street bystanders.
Y'all. I was a volunteer AND I would be marching at the start of the march.
I can't begin to explain how overwhelmed I was. Throughout the few days that I was preparing to come to the March, I had trusted completely that God would work out every detail. And He did. And He did it in such a big way that just about brought me to my knees.

Part three, I'll tell you about the VIP back stage area, totally fan-girling with Mariana, and the March.