Dandelions: My nine year old son loves them. He feels they are a neglected flower of beauty and doesn't understand why grown ups don't appreciate them. We were driving past a field of them earlier this week and he was so excited he forgot the word dandelion and called them macaroni! Now we have a new word for dandelions! Now when I see a field of yellow I'm looking at them through his eyes. Eyes of wonder and appreciation for the bright yellow accents on a green landscape. His eyes of wonder appreciate this flower amidst the world's scorn. I recall my son at three collecting them for me and handing me a bouquet of beautiful drooping yellow dandelions. I see him blond and bright with a smile as big as the sun. I see the wonder of the world through my son's eyes and I'm grateful that I took the time to appreciate the "macaroni" dandelions this week. My goal for this weekend is to find the biggest field of dandelions around. I want to take a picture of my son surrounded by these beautiful flowers. I want to appreciate the gifts of children and dandelions. I'm so glad spring is here.

The update on our friend's daughter: The family is hanging in there. She was studying to be a nurse. She visited my Mom when my Mom was dying in the hospital where she worked. At mass this morning I closed my eyes in prayer and says an image of my Mom opening her arms and hugging Jessica. I know she has gone home. She will be missed. Her life had so much potential. God must need her in his army of angels. Jessica was 24. We are told the other driver wasn't drunk. He looked down for a moment and never saw the stop sign that he ran. Please continue to pray for her family. Thank you again -- prayers give us the strength to survive that which we can not bear.