By the Gift of Fortitude

My dearest daughters – today was award day for Suzy but it was really an award day for each one of you.  Thank you Suzy for your fortitude and example and thank you Pearl and Charlotte for exactly the same as this award is for you two as well.  Today at your school after Mass Suzy you were awarded the Mother Teresa award for the month.  For May that award was Patience.  I had been watching each month this year to see if you might be a recipient while separately we had talked many times about the gift of patience and fortitude – one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.  And now in May it makes perfect sense for your school acknowledge you for patience while your mom and dad are away and patience while we have worked on our adoption of you brothers.  I love you three girls very much and I only wish that I could have been there with all you of you today.  I will have to be patient knowing that I will be home soon and that we can then take the boys to the trail and play some soccer together.

Here is an excerpt from the principle’s letter that speaks to the award better than I can:

“Patience is quiet hope and trust, expecting things to turn out all right. Patience is being calm and tolerant when difficult things happen. It means showing acceptance when you or others make mistakes. Patience is doing something now so that later it will bear fruit, like planting a seed and waiting for it to grow. Patience is a commitment to the future.”