![]() I would like to encourage you to NEVER be independent of God - our Lord and His Blessed Mother. That is a gift many young men do not have and will not receive.Īs you grow closer to the days when you will go off to college or whatever path you choose to take you will have a lot more independence. I realized how blessed I was to have parents who taught me about the love of God.Į, you have been blessed in the same manner. Death of loved ones will do that to you without faith, without God. The elder Roma's were lashing out at me because they had no hope, no vision of eternity - it was all sadness. ![]() Į, I will never forget that day because it was then that I truly began to value what the gift of faith was. My Mom was just coming back from grabbing a bite to eat herself so she was spared the abuse. They physically picked me up, through me out of the hospital room and told me never to come back as they slammed the door on me. In their moment of despair and sadness they hated God. Īs we were talking about God his brothers and sisters returned. he knew that I always went to Church with my folks - this was the one difference I mentioned earlier - his parents really did not have that gift of faith and subsequently never went. We began to talk about heaven, eternal life, the love of God. He was so torn up both physically and spiritually.Īfter a while I tried consoling him the best I could. I had a good while to sit there and talk with Jimmy. His brothers and sisters had all left to have lunch. When we got to the hospital, Jimmy was alone in his room. So my Mom took me, all the while warning me that he was going to look a lot different due to all of the scars and such. I immediately wanted to go see Jimmy in the hospital. He had a broken arm, a broken leg, internal bleeding and who knows what else. Jimmy woke up in the hospital quite a few hours later. The only reason Jimmy survived was that he was thrown out the back window on the initial impact while the car was crushed into a tree. His parents and sister were instantly killed. When Jimmy woke up his life would never be the same.Ībout half-way home a drunk driver hit them. On the ride home from the birthday party, Jimmy and his sister were fast asleep in the "back-back". The Roma's has one of those ancient station wagon's - with the "back-back" as we called it- where you could lay down and go to sleep. One day, I have completely forgotten the particulars, Jimmy, his younger sister and their parents drove over to the elest son's house to celebrate his birthday. ![]() They were not alike in one aspect I came to appreciate so much more later. He had 1 younger sister.įrom my 10 year old point of view - they were just like my parents: pretty good people, nice to everybody and cool to be around. His parents were very kind, always welcoming and I really enjoyed being around them. He lived about 2 miles away from my house but we would always ride our bikes to and from each other's houses. When I was 10 years old my best friend was Jimmy Roma. I'd like to share a story with you that truly helped shape my life. Thanks be to God they are virtuous, faith-filled people as well. I regret any number of things I said and did with my parents. As teenagers we probably do not appreciate our parents as we should. You are truly blessed to have such faith-filled and loving parents. I hope that you do not find it too presumptuous of me to write you this letter. I pray that this letter finds you well and that this retreat will be a turning point in your life.
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