Pray the Rosary. It's been a process beginning with just Hail Mary's and evolving into the full sequence with the mysteries, prayers, etc. For Christmas, my gift to all on my list (including 150 people who stay at the shelter) was to pray the rosary for their intentions each day of the 12 days of Christmas (Dec. 25 - Jan. 6). To learn the rosary complete with the mysteries (joyful, sorrowful, luminous, glorious), I got a musical rosary CD - a bit new age-y for my taste (do not like electronic music at all) - but her voice was nice and after I got over the background music, found it a good way to stay focused every day. I went solo a couple of days ago and almost have all the prayers down. This has been a gift to me as well.



Photo Credit: Queen of Peace by SteffanyZphotgraphy, Creative Commons License. 

Every night before bed I do an adapted version of an examination of conscience (I was doing this before I knew it had an official name). Process is to review the day - either working back from that point or starting from the morning up until the end of the day. First I pull out the gratitude - the beauty, the love, the joy, the abundance, etc. and just be with that for a moment. I then do a second review to see if I caused harm to anyone - intentionally or not - perhaps was not mindful in my speech or made a hasty decision that created harm or maybe the harm was to myself by not eating well or taking time to nourish my soul... I then look at those things and decide if or how I can make amends. What can I do to bring this into a space of rightness? I usually end spontaneously with a 'thank you, thank you, thank you' - in absolute gratitude for my life. At the very least, I find that this helps to wrap up the day and I'm less apt to carry the day's events or stress into the dreamtime. The greater purpose is that it helps me keep my life aligned with where I want to be.  

Raising three children - two as a single parent. When the last one left home I thought a round of applause was called for from the world! After that I felt I could do anything - nothing was impossible (I had already done what felt like the impossible and got all of us through it intact). Being a mother (of sorts) to a couple of hundred people now (at the shelter and on the streets) is truly only possible because of my training with my own children. I was (and am) blessed.

Thanks for the question. A happy memory at this very early morning hour.

HAIL, holy Queen, mother of mercy! Hail, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Why are people so attached to their suffering? (and not seek liberation?)

Beatles Second Album - it came out when I was 6 and I begged my grandmother to buy it for me. It was sold in the grocery stores in NY. I listened to it daily - learned all the lyrics - danced in front of the stereo. Very soon after getting the album, they appeared on the Ed Sullivan show. The night of the show, my father told me he had a surprise for me and made me wait in the closet in the den. Then he called me out and there they were on TV. Happy memories. Still have the album as well which is amazing.