Paying it forward... It's the entire point!

My socks match!  Evidence that I am making good on my promise to myself to tend to the details of daily life!  I also signed the boys up for Religious Education yesterday.  My husband and I have preferred doing this education at home.  We also have preferred going to church without becoming members.  We have done that for years.  Part of why we homeschooled our kids in Religious Education was because we had to join a Parish to enroll them, and we either were between moves, or too busy and poor to donate time, treasure or talent.  We (knowingly) were not participating in what is probably the single most important part of not just our Religion, but any one's walk towards "goodness"; doing good for others.

When our kids were young (4 and 1) and were still in Indiana we did Pre-Cana (Pre-Marriage preparation), and Cooper went to Catholic school until 1st grade.  In Colorado Casey was a Catechist (Sunday School teacher).  When we left Indiana in 2007 we basically gave up trying to donate our time.  We knew we weren't dependable, and we weren't.  We've moved 5 times since 2007.  We devoted ourselves, instead, to doing good for the boys.  We'll be here for a while so it's time to get back to it!  Doing good deeds for others is the entire point of existence, and certainly religion is supposed to help us see this and give us opportunities for it.

However, anyone can do good deeds.  One of the things we tried to teach the boys, besides bible stories, the trinity, and the sacraments, was to recognize and SEIZE opportunities to help others in everyday life.  They are both good about fearlessly approaching people in stores and parking lots if they seem to need some help.  They are also, and this is something I'm quite proud of, very good at befriending kids at school that have been ridiculed and socially exiled.

The Religious Education director didn't know any of this when I called her yesterday.  She knew only that my kid's hadn't ever been enrolled in Religious Education, and that we weren't members of any Parish.  She rightfully assumed we were fallen away Catholics.  She wanted to interview the boys before deciding whether or not to enroll them in their grade appropriate classes, or to send them to RCIA (for a batized Catholic this is like a remedial class to re-educate you).  I felt that she was making a great choice!

When I showed up with the boys, tattooed and all (by the way, I see my tattoos as being no different than iconography and frescoes on church walls, though I am well aware not everyone shares my outlook) I think she was fairly certain they'd need to go to RCIA.  She left me to fill out paper work and took the boys to interview them.  When she was done she came to me and in a pleasantly surprised voice said, "They are adorable, and chatty.  I think they can just go to their grade appropriate classes.  You have done a great job with them".  WOW!  What a huge compliment.  What great validation!  Now, on to the next phase of parenting; teaching how to execute selfless service in a more "grown up way".