Sheila Sims Iding
It started with the first trip to China. It started with the first long separation. It started with a mom who doesn’t mind the wings…she encourages wings…what she does mind is the distance the wings take them.
With no texting, no facebook, delayed email and late blogs, there had to be someway to stay somewhat connected. How would he know on a 15 hour flight that I was thinking of him? How would he know that as he acclimated himself to a new culture and a new country that there would be thoughts of him? How would he know that as he stood before a group of students to teach that I would be praying for him to have strength to do God’s work in such a special way?
I can’t text (darn…I sure miss that texting piece). I can’t call him and leave a voice mail. I can’t email him in a timely manner. Something had to connect us. Something had to say please know I am thinking of you. That something is one of the most simple and oldest forms of communication. It is the highest form of communication. It is the form of communication that Jesus taught the disciples. Prayer. It transcends technology, time zones and the thousands of miles that feel like a ba-zillion miles to a mother’s heart.
So…before he left for the first trip to China, I gave him a keychain with a Mary medal on it. Whenever he goes to China I wear my Mary medal and with Mary’s intercession we complete the prayer pact. Every hour on the hour we say a Hail Mary. Soon it will be 6:00 a.m. here in Lansing and 6:00 p.m. in China. I will be starting my day awaiting the sunrise and he will be ending his day awaiting the sunset. But we will both look at the clock and notice it is “on the hour” and both pray a Hail Mary and thus be connected in the most powerful way.
I know what you are thinking…you can’t do this all day every day. What if you forget? What if he forgets? The connection is broken. We planned for that. I figure if I pray a Hail Mary every hour on the hour when I am awake and when I notice the “on the hour” and when I remember the pact…then at some point in the 24 hours of the day, he will do the same. And at some point….or two or three points…during that day, a mother and son will be connected by a prayer to the Holy Mother in the way taught to us by God’s son. If one of us forgets the “on the hour” or if we are sleeping or busy or not focused (who me?), at the very least, we are praying to Mary for a loved one.
I have used this with Joey and Adam too as they travel or have some special event in their day. I don’t have to tell you it’s a very powerful connection. I just wanted to tell you about this amazing way to stay connected without technology. I just wanted to let you know that it can bring great comfort as you look at clock and see “on the hour”. It happens at the times when you might least expect it. When you are lining kids up for a class. When you are driving in your car. When you are at a meeting. When you are standing at mass to sing the entrance song. When you are finishing a morning blog. In two minutes I have to say a special prayer and make a special connection. Soon it will be the time when I pray every hour on the hour. Here’s to 6:00 a.m. Here’s to connecting by powerful prayer. Here’s to Hail Mary Full of Grace.