Confessions of a Free Range Prolapsed Catholic

Are you more of a night or morning person?

I’m just a live every minute of every day person. One of my philosophies is “still above ground so I am ahead on points”! This perception is based on being born in Australia. Being born after WWII , only just but, enough to be labelled Baby Boomer. Until recently, I thought it was about the bonking that must have gone on post WWII. Born in 1951 I thought 6 years of “booming babies” post 1945 was a bit of a stretch! Recently I learned it was about the post war economic boom! Being born of Irish, German heritage. Being a teacher, a musician, a mother of four I held, and four unknown daughters who died before they were born. Being grandmother of 6. Being someone who has learned that ” Life” is a circle, not an Institution.

So night time I love. I love the night sky. I love the shadows in the moonlight made by the frangipani trees on the road outside my home. I love the silence of 3 am when I wake every night and hear only the sounds of the house. The easterly winds through the bedroom window blow away the humidity of the hot summer day while the ” southerly buster” rattles the back verandah! Sleep comes and I am at peace.

I love the morning! The call of the kookaburra and the magpie from the park across the road. The cacophony of the cockatoos as they land on the power lines. I love the chatter of kids on their way to the high school at the end of the street and the ” Seniors walking group” with their rattling walking aids, their laughter and the fluro safety vests!

I love the afternoon when the siren sounds to mark the end of the school day for kids, not always staff! I love the arrival of the cars whose drivers ignore the council signs demanding “parallel parking only” and park at 90 degrees nose first toward the drain! I approve of the law breaking. (Gentle civil disobedience is part of my D&A!)

I love the blatant ignoring of this particular declaration!

I love the sound of the car pulling onto the driveway as my son returns from work and our puppy goes ballistic!

A tiny little melodrama occurs as he falls flat on his face in the carpet and she leaps on his shoulders, her tail spinning like a helicopter blade with pure bliss filled joy, the pair of them!

And at the end of the day, I love the sound of the father of out children ” Triple L” (Long. Lean and Loveable) comes in from his shed and we settle down for the news of the day, a couple of game shows, AND HE COOKS THE EVENING MEAL!

ALL day, every day above ground’s a bonus! I am so thankful.

It’s not nirvana but compared to the majority of the rest of the world, it’s safe and it’s all I love!