When my children went to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. School in Wayne New Jersey, I became friendly with Sister Mary Theresa, aka, Sister Mary Music. She was the music minister in our parish. My son played the drums and my daughter sang with the Children's Choir. Sister had some health issues when she wasn't making that organ smoke. Sister had great faith and dynamite Rosary Beads, though, to be able to relax and have me drive her to doctor appointments, to eye surgery, assorted errands and shhhh....don't tell Sister Ave (the Superior, at the time), cruising with my roof open, blasting the radio to the park for picnics and a bottle of wine. She just loved riding in that car and trying to scratch up some drag races.
One day, during Holy Week, as we were parting company in front of the Convent and hugging, I said: "Oh, go get some rest Sister and have a Happy Easter!" With that, fury descended on me from the formerly sweet Sister. I swear, I felt the flames of hell licking the hem of my skirt! "That's not acceptable! The entire Crucifixion, death of Jesus, and this, our holiest week of our Liturgical Year, just NOT HAPPY, Laura! You should be more respectful of our Savior!...I would have thought..." And on and on and on... I watched her for a while, remembered that she was not one of my children ranting, but God's and said: "I get that, I really do. But, just think of how HAPPY Jesus was to come alive again, to be off of that hard rock and out of those borrowed sheets, have a tete-a-tete with Mary Magdalene, strut His stuff at Pilate and his goons and manage to crank open those gate of Heaven for all of those good souls lined up waiting, probably cheering. I don't know about you, Sister, but, I'm thinking that the Easter/Resurrection thing is on the Happier side of Lent." She stood, stared at me for a nano-second and in a hushed voice said: "I see your point. I will pray for you though, dear. And, by the way, don't tell Ave that we went joy riding, next time we'll shut those punks down...great wine, thanks for lunch!" She turned on her sensible shoe's heel and went inside.
Sister died about a month after that, not from my driving, thank you, but whenever I say: "Happy Easter" to anyone other than the heathens who surround me, I miss her. I think of her. So, if on Easter Sunday, you catch me looking up...join me in saying: HAPPY EASTER , SISTER MARY MUSIC!!!
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