Entertaining the Needy

Dave's parents left on Thursday for an overseas pilgrimage to Medjugorje. This is quite the venture for his Mom and Dad who are nearing their seventh decade. His mother has a bit of the travel bug. She has traipsed across the country, through the USA and spent time in Paris and Israel. She is the sort of woman who would pack her bags at the drop of a hat for a far away land if the need arose. Dave's Dad, on the other hand, is a slightly different story.

Although his official career was spent crunching numbers in his accounting practice, he is a farm boy at heart. And, in my limited experience, most farm boys like to stay put (as evidenced by my father-in-law's abilities over the last 67 years). According to Dave's memory, his Dad ventured once to Cape Cod for his honeymoon, once to Winnipeg for business, spent the requisite amount of time in the big city and hightailed it back to the farm once circumstances allowed for the great escape. So, Medjugorje is a big deal.

This deal is made even bigger by the fact that he was born at home almost 70 years ago in a home with no power or running water where birth registration wasn't such a big deal. Baptism was. Therefore, when it came time for passport application his efforts were confounded by his lack of a birth certificate. Thankfully his baptismal records were easily accessible and his passport arrived with only days to spare before the big trip.

Come Thursday morning, both Grandma and Grandpa were one their way to the big city to catch a plane over the ocean blue. They made a quick stop here to pick up computer print outs of the upcoming cattle sale (the day after they arrive home). I suppose that these served as reading material for the flight over. Hannah was waiting with sheets of bovine facts in hand for her Grandpa who jumped from the van with a new haircut and a sparkling green John Deere cap. As always, he was smiling and joking and Grandma was waving from the back seat like a child heading into a candy store. The scene brought tears to my eyes as I watched them go.

Our children were a little confused by the whole adventure.

We went to the farm last night to pick up a jag of wood and Joseph wandered the house calling, "Boppa? Boppa?" However, the ultimate question came from our oldest, who, like his paternal grandfather, has a fondness for the television. A few days before the big departure, Jacob asked me and his Grandma how Grandpa would manage without TV; specifically without EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network).

"Will Grandpa bring the TV to Medjugorje?" This question sent his Grandma into a fit of giggles as one of her secret pleasures is having her grandchildren reveal her husband's foibles.

"Why Jacob?" I asked wanting to hear his reasoning behind the query.

"Well, is he bringing TV to the children of Medjugorje?" This was asked with a sort of missionary zeal.

This sent me into a fit of giggles as I pictured his Grandpa exiting the plane and passing out televisions and satellite dishes to needy children. If Jacob's understanding of the Corporal Works of Mercy is handing out TVs to the unfortunate, I think we have some work to do.