Friday Features Information
Good morning and happy Friday! I hope you all have had a great week. I hope you all have also gotten a chance to check out today’s Friday Features! If you haven’t yet, you can find it here. If you’re behind and need to catch up on all the Friday Features guests, you can find them here (and please keep scrolling to the bottom of the page- for some reason my mom’s post did not appear at the top when it was published- she is guest #2).
Significance of Today
I was walking back to my dorm after class when I got a text from my sister, Aimee. “Did you hear about Peepaw?”
My heart started beating fast. He had been in poor health for awhile due to heart problems. I replied, “No, what happened?” “He died”. I quickly reached out to my mom to confirm that this was true, and found out that he had passed away while they were trying to transport him. I quickened my pace to get back to my dorm room.
Once I got there, I broke down. We were expecting this to happen at some point, but it still didn’t hurt less. I reached out to my husband (my boyfriend at the time) and he rushed from class to comfort me. I had some friends reach out and bring by some chocolate.
I didn’t make it to his funeral- it was a busy time in school, with a lot of exams coming up, but it was also the day before my 21st birthday, and I just didn’t feel emotionally ready to process his death. If I could go back now, I wish I would have gone to it.
Today is April 16, and it is a day for my family that sticks out, because it is the day (6 years ago now) that my grandpa (we knew him as Peepaw) passed away. It was the first death in my family that I remember to someone we knew very well.
About Peepaw
I have such great memories of visiting my grandparents. We lived far away, so our vacations over the summer were usually to Arkansas to visit them. We would stay for about a week or two and see all our family that lived in the area.
Peepaw was the biggest coffee drinker that I knew! I remember him getting up from his lounge chair and making his way to the coffee maker to fill up his Arkansas Razorback cup (he was a huge fan!) several times a day. He would alternate between coffee and water, and my grandma eventually switched him to half calf because he drank so much coffee! I realized last night that I am a lot like him! The main drinks I have daily are coffee and water.
I remember sitting on his lap before bed when we were younger and having him read us a story. He loved playing solitaire, and let us play it too. When he was not sitting in his usual chair, all of us would go for it because it was so comfortable!
When we weren’t visiting them, we would call them once a week and all take turns saying hello. Peepaw loved jokes so we all would look try to learn a new one to tell him (usually ones that we found on our popsicle sticks after we were done eating them- does anyone else remember those?!). We also would talk to Peepaw on the computer through instant messages (I believe aol…who else remembers that?! Wow have things changed!).
Peepaw loved to stay informed and would always ask us, “what do you know?”. Last summer, I learned from my mom that he had actually wanted to start a blog himself, but didn’t know where to start. She gave me the book that she had given to him filled with positive quotations to help him get ideas on what to write about.
I wish he could have seen this blog that I started. I hope he would like it.
St. Drogo
I’m sure you’re probably wondering why I am talking about Saint Drogo of Sebourg on the same post that I talk about my grandfather. Here is your answer: St. Drogo is the patron saint of Shepherds, coffee (owners of coffee houses), and those found unattractive. His feast day is today, April 16.
I came across St. Drogo when I was trying to find out if there was a patron saint of coffee. I am having a hard time finding information on him, because he is a lesser known saint. But I found a few helpful articles that I am linking here for you all to read everything about him:
Https://procaffeination.com/why-is-saint-drogo-of-sebourg-the-patron-saint-of-coffee/
https://www.crisismagazine.com/2015/rediscovering-saint-drogo-sebourg
Here is a summary of what I learned about him: He was a French man who became a shepherd, and was well known for how holy he was. He eventually got sick, and that sickness left him with some physical abnormalities, which is why he is the patron saint of those who are unattractive (personally, I think that is kind of sad- we are all beautiful creations of God no matter what we look like!). The coffee aspect is interesting, because apparently it would not have been in his area during his life. People are not sure why he is associated with it, but have some guesses that the authors go over in the articles I linked. He is said to have been able to bilocate! So some associate him with coffee due to his ability to multitask. I don’t know if that is true, but I think that is a pretty good reason to be associated with coffee 🙂
Relating to Saint Drogo
I became fascinated by St. Drogo when I searched him a week ago, and I shared him with my family. I thought it was a neat coincidence (God- incidence) that his feast day is the same day that my grandfather, who loved coffee, passed away. I also thought it was neat that his feast day is just the day before my birthday!
I actually was lead to look him up after I had found a replacement coffee maker at the thrift store (Another God incidence I believe!). I had just told my mother-in-law the story of breaking my coffee pot and how the coffee maker brand we have had gone out of business, so I couldn’t find a replacement pot. Later that day, I went to the thrift store, and I found the exact same machine! It was meant to be! (I think Saint Drogo had heard me say that I want to be the patron saint of those who go without coffee).
I was telling all of this to my sister Laura, and she also pointed out some other ways I can relate to him as well. He is the patron saint of shepherds. Just like him, I shepherd my kids. He is also known as the patron saint of the unattractive (again, I don’t know how I feel about this one). But she took that and put a positive spin on it by pointing out that motherhood/life is filled with ugly moments. When we find ourselves in the middle of one, we can ask him to pray for us.
I don’t think I need to explain how I can relate to him being the patron saint of coffee… 😀
Saints choose you
I can’t remember where I heard this, I think maybe it was a guest on @manyhailmarysatatime, or it was a chapter from Claire Dwyer’s book, “This Present Paradise”, but they said that “Saints choose you”. A lot of us say we have patron saints that we have chosen, but it also goes both ways. Saints in heaven can form connections to us too. I believe that Saint Drogo has chosen me to learn more about his story, and is offering to pray for me.
I have also felt as if Mother Teresa has been reaching out to me from Heaven recently. As you all know by now, her quote, “Do small things with great love” inspired the name of my blog. She has so much wisdom that she shares with us! But more recently, I can relate to her from her struggles. She endured a dark period of her life where she didn’t feel close to God. I relate to my struggles with depression this past year, where I have been tested with my trust in God’s plan and not feeling worthy of His love.
St. Therese of Lisieux is a saint that I have felt close with since I was younger. She is my confirmation saint, and my mom’s confirmation saint. Although I admit, there was a time that I thought maybe I had made a mistake choosing her for my Confirmation saint. I didn’t feel that connection to her. But recently, I have. I think she knew that I would also have mental struggles and need some extra prayers. She is who we named our daughter, Theresa after. Therese was a child that got sick a lot, and Theresa was born with a medical condition.
I just love how all of these God- incidences occur. It may be hard to see it in the present moment, but looking back, I can see how all of the saints have prayed for me, and helped my family and I along the way. I also see God’s hand at work.
Grab a cup of Coffee!
I hope you all enjoy your day and your weekend, and in honor of St. Drogo, grab an extra cup of coffee today!
St. Drogo of Sebourg, pray for us!
Mother Teresa, pray for us!
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
Mama Mary, pray for us!
Who are some Saints who have chosen you/developed a relationship with you? Share below!
