A Special Day For Two Reasons

I want to wish my dear friend Joyce a very Happy 46th Birthday, her sixth in Heaven.

I know she'll be having a good time today, as she was always very much the party person.

Have a great day, Joyce. All of us who loved you will be thinking of you today. I'll lift a glass in your honor later today.

Today, October 1, is also the feast the day of St. Therese of Lisieux (pictured left). St. Therese was a French Carmelite nun who is also known as "The Little Flower of Jesus." She lived a fairly normal life as a nun, and believed in doing the little things in her devotion to God. She became a nun at the young age of 15, and died just nine years later in 1897. She wrote a book called "The Story of a Soul," and it was a runaway success after her death, and many miracles were attributed to her. St. Therese was canonized in 1926.

St. Therese was actually first brought to my attention in early 2002. A man on the Internet read the first poem I wrote for Joyce, and wrote to me and suggested I read St. Therese's poetry. I did read some and they are very beautiful. Since then I felt a connection to her, especially since red roses meant so much to St. Therese, as well as myself. I pray to her on a daily basis.

I always carry a medal of St. Therese with me. When the Red Sox were down to their last three outs in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, I pulled out a candle and lit it, and did something I rarely ever do when it comes to sports. I prayed to St. Therese and asked her for a miracle.

You can call what happened next a coincidence if you like, but I think you all know the rest of the story.

The official web site of St. Therese is: www.sttherese.com.