Hello to all who may be reading this! And thank you to my daughter Michelle for inviting me (among many others of course) to share some thoughts on her wonderful blog….
“Do small things with great love…” Wow.
So simple in principle, so hard in practice.
Now usually on a good day my writing skills have all the excitement of a Walmart furniture assembly manual. But since this is such an important and meaningful topic, I attempted to put something together… I hope it is readable!
A few years ago, I wrote a letter of “thoughts and advice” to my nephew who was preparing for his Confirmation. While searching for inspiration for this task, I stumbled across it in my “documents” folder on the computer. I also found a copy of my “blessing” speech at Michelle’s wedding (5 years ago already Michelle!) …. among some other documents that are nearly from the turn of the millennium when we were all preparing for the feared Y2K computer crash (does anybody remember that??) Such simpler times… sigh… but to keep on point, reading through these items again, I found some passages that might be useful in the mission of this blog post.
So with great unoriginality I stitched together and paraphrased a few passages from those 2 letters that in some way address some elements of living great love in the “small” things in life, from the Christian perspective. (Yes, Virginia, this writing is regifted!) Keep in mind, of course, that the “small” things in living love are not actually small, they are just not necessarily visible and attention grabbing to the outside observer. Sort of like your car’s brake fluid not being visible but super important as you cruise along at 70 on the interstate ignoring the 2 second rule and tailgating the car in front of you. So without further time wasting, here are some of my thoughts on putting Christlike love into practice, big AND small.
Required disclaimer: Use as directed…. results may vary…past performance no guarantee of future success…
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So I will start with a BIG question rather than addressing the “small” things: What is the meaning of each of our lives? The answer depends on who you ask, of course. But if you turn to the Catholic faith for an answer, it has a quite simple and beautiful one. God, who is love itself, created you out of love, to be loved, and to love in return. That is why you are here. So how do we translate that overarching principle to daily life? That’s the million-dollar question, and I’m glad you asked! This is how I see it. It means that our day to day, minute-to-minute living – for example, how we interact with family, friends and strangers; our choice of words and gestures; our willingness to take the load off the shoulders of others; how well we do our work or chores; how well we take care of ourselves physically, remembering that we are temples of the Holy Spirit (sorry MacDonald’s); and I think most importantly, the kinds of thoughts that we choose to hold and cause others to hold (remembering that actions begin as thoughts) – these are all the “small” things that are meant to be directed toward the good. The “good” is just another way of saying God, isn’t it? Since God is the ultimate good, not one who loves but who IS Love itself. When we direct our actions to put God (i.e., the Good, love, selflessness) first in our lives, we are indeed fulfilling the meaning of our own lives.
That is the point of having a conscience, to help us recognize what truly is good. Yes, it is true that we are sinners, incapable of living the good as fully as we should. But it is also true that we can continually strive and do better. We have through the power of the sacraments a way to grow, to have an inner strength. Remember the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit – wisdom, understanding, right judgment, courage, knowledge, reverence, wonder and awe – these are meant to increase within us. And they indeed can, but it is not a magical transformation of course. We will increase in these virtues only if we believe in them and strive for them with sincerity.
The following are closing words of wisdom – not my own, but others – I had to turn to people much smarter than me for this! But give these thoughts a whirl, there is much life experience and meaning in them.
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– Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day – Sally Koch
– I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice – Abraham Lincoln
– In this world there is no clarity. There is only love and action – Mother Theresa
– Patience is the companion of wisdom – St. Augustine
– No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he had only had good intentions – Margaret Thatcher
– Ultimately you are doing what you do for one of two reasons – to serve oneself or to serve God – Unknown
– Forgiveness is the fragrance the flower leaves on the heel of the one who crushed it – David Jeremiah
– Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless – Mother Theresa
– What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others – Pericles
– By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach – Winston Churchill
– Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. It is the consequence of a continual labor of love. In the art of marriage, the little things ARE the big things. It is remembering to say “I love you” frequently. It is never taking the other for granted. It is having a mutual set of values and common goals. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not looking for perfection in each other. It is having the capacity to forgive truly and completely. It is not only marrying the right partner, but also BEING the right partner. – Anonymous
– Be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, and tolerant of the weak, because some day in your life you will be all of these – George Washington Carver
– Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are nice but because you are – Unknown
– Compassion is language the deaf can hear and the blind can see – Mark Twain
– To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you – C.S. Lewis
– Love is not an affectionate feeling, but rather a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained – C.S. Lewis
– True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less – C.S. Lewis
– Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – Jesus Christ
– Come, follow Me – Jesus Christ
Biography
Charles Hollcraft grew up in south suburban Chicago in a house slightly larger than an appliance delivery truck in the 60s and 70s. There he honed his understanding of the word “eternal” in his experience of sharing one bathroom with 2 sisters and 2 parents. Academic pursuits started early in the formative preschool years at which time he majored in appliance disassembly, frequently exceeding expectations. Forward thinking parents wisely turned to the time-tested methods of Catholic elementary and high school. There, where teachers were well equipped with motivational tools with large wooden handles, he developed a true love of learning, particularly in the natural sciences. This especially blossomed upon receiving one of the best Christmas presents ever (no, not a BB gun, a chemistry set!). When not putting out fires in his bedroom (literally) he and his family were testing the waters of pet ownership which included dogs, birds, rodents and snakes (including a Boa Constrictor named Irving). Adding to his parents’ gray hair was the background noise of a guitar based 70s group (“the Flames”) which included both sisters, cousins or who happened to be visiting that day. Surprisingly reaching high school graduation intact, he then began his college experience (not necessarily publishable) which somehow led to medical school, marriage to his true love (yes, even better than Wesley and Buttercup), service in the army, 5 beautiful children (EACH one is his favorite) and a practicing physician since the early 90s. To survive the stresses of medicine he has kept a steady stream of hobbies to include aviation, astronomy, and guitar. And an absolute love of baseball which his beautiful wife Cindy shares (I told you, better than Wesley and Buttercup!). Beneath all of this, of course, has been his true love and devotion to the Catholic faith, the irreplaceable steady rock that has grown and guided him steadily throughout life. To have lived such a variety of extremes is proof that God has a sense of humor – perhaps even a little British humor…
Your dad seems like such a sweet person and an excellent role model!