THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR?

This is a bit sensitive and quite difficult to write. If it gets published, then I’ve come a lot farther than I thought.

I suffered a childhood trauma that NO child should suffer at the hands of her father. No, it was not as severe because I was old enough and strong enough to pull away rather quickly, especially given my father’s sleepy and slightly inebriated state. Like any other youngster, I pretended that it never happened and promptly buried the memory.

Here I am in my 50s, a time it seems that old memories suddenly re-surface, asking to be faced and dealt with so that we can continue to grow into our next phase of life. Out came this nightmare. After dealing with it on my own for a time, I decided to seek out a psychologist, one dealing with cognitive-behavioral therapy so I could learn to deal with this and any future situations myself. Heavens! I’m actually seeing a shrink!!!! Not me!

I confided in my long-time mentor, a wonderful man who has known me since my teen years. His response was, “So? That was a long time ago. Forget about it.” When I told him that it was not going away on its own and that I’d sought professional help, he said, “You should know better than that. Forget about it.”

Okay – he was a kid once. He was raised in a stable home environment by two loving parents. He was, however, nor will he ever be, A GIRL! He was never even eligible for the title of altar boy because his family was not Catholic.

I couldn’t explain to him what I was going through. It was obvious that he was not even going to attempt to understand that I could be feeling emotionally bruised.

I’ve told few people about this experience, and those I’ve told have been amazingly supportive and loving and encouraging. I guess there has to be one in every group. I’ve supported him through cancer, surgeries, all matters of health and family crises – without question.

So, what to do? Nothing. Keep on the path I’ve chosen in dealing with the experience. At the same time, I realize that while I’ve not lost a friend, I have lost a confidant.

ONE TRUE CHURCH AND A BELOVED TENOR?

In the last few months, the Pope made a statement that set the ecumenical movement back a few centuries when he proclaimed the Catholic Church as THE ONE TRUE CHURCH AND THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION. He did not deny that other churches were legit – just that membership in them would not help you be “SAVED.” Oh brother!

The world watched recently as the great Luciano Pavarotti received a full CATHOLIC CEREMONY in a CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL. What was wrong with this picture?
The Maestro was married, 3 kids, etc. and had an affair with his young secretary, resulting in the birth of a beautiful daughter. This was followed by a divorce. A WHAT? A CATHOLIC GOT DIVORCED AND RE-MARRIED??????? Any other Catholic would have been kicked out of the “true church” for attempting the same. Never mind that it might have been a woman whose husband nearly killed her, and she had to leave him to save her life and the lives of her children. Nope. Marriage is a sacrament. Marriage is for life.

About the same time The Maestro was receiving a full Catholic burial, an unknown man lay dying in a hospital, being kept physically alive by machines. It was determined that doing so was cruel and futile. So he and his family elected to turn off life support. When they turned to the “true church” for solace and a proper Catholic burial, THEY WERE DENIED!

Before you get the wrong idea, I IDOLIZED PAVAROTTI AS ONE OF THE GREATEST TENORS IN HISTORY!!!! (I’m a singer, so I can back this statement up on a number of fronts.) I respected not only his great talent, but his compassion and love for music and love for life.

Why am I outraged?

The TRUE CHURCH is only true to those who are famous and/or fill the pockets of the clergy. Had Pavarotti been given the same treatment as any other divorced person, the pubic outcry against the “true church” would have been deafening. The “true church” could not allow him to have only a pubic civil burial. The “true church” had to have its moment in the spotlight.

Meanwhile, an unknown grieving family got the cold shoulder instead of solace and comfort.

SHAME ON YOU, ROME!