2/9/24 - Friday Forget-Me-Nots by Jim Silcott

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Dear Our Lady of Peace Family,

In our daily morning prayer as a school, we get the opportunity to pray for the needs of our students, staff, and their families. There is a prayer intention book in our lobby. Sometimes intentions are written down within the pages of the book. We pray every Friday for “the intentions in our book, the intentions in our hearts, as well as anyone who has asked us to pray for them.”

We also pray by name for people in our morning prayers. This is particularly true when a loved one has passed away. In the last month or so, we have prayed three times for one of our Kindergarten students and his family. Since December, Charlie Silcott has lost his maternal great-grandfather, his maternal great grandmother, and this past week, his maternal grandfather, Mike.

Charlie is my grandson. It is my daughter-in-law, Christine, who has lost both her grandparents and her dad. I, of course, am his paternal grandfather.

Christine’s grandparents lived in Michigan. They were both in their nineties and lived in their own home right up until the end. Dying within a month of each other, both in their sleep, after being married for 70+ years is considered a blessing after a long and rich life. Christine’s father was the same age as I am, 67, and died very suddenly, only hours after Charlie and his brother and sister had seen him. Christine was with her dad when he passed.

Although it is harder to find the blessings in this death, given his age and the suddenness of his passing, blessings can still be found, even if painful. Some immediate family members must get to town in a hurry. Others are busy making arrangements for services. Kids still need to be taken care of. This is where extended family comes to lend a hand. For Charlie and his siblings, Thomas and Olivia, this meant taking them over to their cousin’s house to play and getting Charlie to his basketball game. My wife, Kathy, and I had them at our house Saturday night and Sunday morning where we spoiled them rotten. They wore us out!

Families come together in times of sadness and that is a blessing. Christine has a younger brother named Matt. Technically, Matt is Christine’s half-brother through her dad’s second marriage, but those distinctions really make no difference in a close family. Matt plays ice hockey for OU. His dad was supposed to watch him play on Sunday. Matt’s family, including his dad, had planned on being there. The family still came, but Matt’s dad was there only in spirit.

My son, Stephen, who also attends Ohio University, went to the hockey match too. Technically, Stephen is my stepson through my marriage to his mom. But those distinctions make no difference in a close family. Stephen and Matt don’t know each other well. Once in a while they wave to each other on campus. They might be at the same birthday party for their mutual nephews and niece, Charlie, and the twins. But Stephen knows the value of family. Stephen also lost his dad at a young age. So, Stephen cheered Matt on and ate lunch with Matt’s family. And Matt’s family, at the end of the day, is Stephen’s family. And the whole family can mourn together and that is better than mourning alone.

Our Lady of Peace is a family. Some are related. Some know each other well. Others know each other less well or not at all. But in times of sadness, which happens, and in times of celebration, which thankfully also happens, we come together. We console each other and we cheer each other on. God did not mean for us to be alone and that is the reason why. Let us continue to be there for each other through all that we do. Let us continue to pray for one another in all times, both good and bad.

Jim Silcott

Jim Silcott