Visions

The warmer weather is making us all happy....except for Justin (at least this week). The kids were outside playing on Thursday afternoon. I love that I am able to see them from the kitchen and family room windows so that I do not actually have to be outside with them at all times.

All of a sudden, Justin was at the door in tears. He look terrified. I asked him what was wrong, and he pointed outside and told me that he saw Mary (as in the Blessed Mother, the only Mary he knows!). What!? Of course, I didn't see Mary or anything else that didn't look normal. I kept telling him to point and to tell me about it (at just 2-1/2, he's not the most articulate!). He refused to go back outside.

Since then, he has looked out the window several times (like above) and told me that she's still there.

I really don't think that my son is seeing the Blessed Mother (I'm anxious to get him out there and walk over there with him to see what he's talking about...maybe after his nap today!), but part of me thinks that it would be so cool if he was!

This whole experience reminds me of a beautiful story that I heard when Gianna was a month old. I was attending a breastfeeding class in Hershey, PA. My neighbor, who also had a newborn named Jackson (who is still Gianna's best friend to this day!), recommended it. It was an invaluable class to me as a new mother.

The lady who ran the class (and still runs the class) is a lovely devout Catholic woman named Mary. I didn't know this at first, but I could tell that I was in the presence of someone peaceful and holy. I later got to know her much better.

Anyway, back to her story. As she taught us about breastfeeding, infant massage, attachment parenting, baby wearing (and any other number of useful things!), she used to tell us stories about her life. She is the mother of 3...her daughter is a cloistered nun, one son is a priest, and the other son has small children.

She said that one day she was praying for her 3-year-old twin grandsons. In particular, that a "legion of angels" would watch over them and keep them safe. She said right after she finished praying, she got a phone call from her son. He told her that he had just been taking a walk with his sons when one of the 3-year-olds pointed and said, "Daddy! Look at all the angels! There are so many of them!"

The story gave us all chills. The very moment that Mary had been praying that angels protect her grandchildren, one of them actually saw a legion of angels!!!

Could it be a coincidence? Sure. Could it be a 3-year-old's active imagination? Sure. Could it be that Justin is seeing something that is reminding him of our statue of Mary? Probably.

But, could it be a vision from heaven? I have a slight hope in my heart that Mary is in my backyard! And, to this day, I pray that a "legion of angels" surround my children every moment of their lives.

I hear Justin waking up from his nap now....