The Beautiful Church
The big scalloped dome ceiling creates the feeling of being in a big cathedral while in the small town of St. Joseph. Simple, but perfect, for the church, chandeliers hang in rows of two. Rows of old fashion dark wooden pews line the whole church. Elaborate hand carved sculptures of Mary and Joseph flank either side of the alter with candelabra in front of them for people to light.
Covered in creamy tan tiles, the altar, the main focus of the church where masses take place, have wooden chairs on the right for the priests and for the altar servers behind them. The gold tabernacle, where the blessed sacrament is kept, sits dead center under the Crucifix hanging on the wall. As a reminder that is light with in us, the Sanctuary lamp is suspended from the ceiling. Throughout the altar candles flicker, giving off a warm welcoming to the congregation. From the Abmo, a podium where the readings of the day are proclaimed for us to hear the word of the Lord. The Table of the Eucharist is where the body and blood is consecrated and blessed for us to receive. It is always covered with colored seasonal linen.
This time of year, the altar is specially decorated for the Christmas season. With trees strung with lights, red and white poinsettias fill all around them. A manger scene sits in front of the table filled with all the wise men and the animals with Mary and Joseph after Jesus is born.
The walls are lined with garland with the evening light coming through the stained glass windows, each one hand made displaying different saints and scenes. Spanning the whole back of the church is the choir loft, home to organ that plays gracefully before the start of each mass. One by one, people trickle in through the big wooden doors, out of the cold, and are greeted by other parishioners. They touch their hand onto the holy water font to bless themselves with the sign of the cross before finding a seat for mass.
The big scalloped dome ceiling creates the feeling of being in a big cathedral while in the small town of St. Joseph. Simple, but perfect, for the church, chandeliers hang in rows of two. Rows of old fashion dark wooden pews line the whole church. Elaborate hand carved sculptures of Mary and Joseph flank either side of the alter with candelabra in front of them for people to light.
Covered in creamy tan tiles, the altar, the main focus of the church where masses take place, have wooden chairs on the right for the priests and for the altar servers behind them. The gold tabernacle, where the blessed sacrament is kept, sits dead center under the Crucifix hanging on the wall. As a reminder that is light with in us, the Sanctuary lamp is suspended from the ceiling. Throughout the altar candles flicker, giving off a warm welcoming to the congregation. From the Abmo, a podium where the readings of the day are proclaimed for us to hear the word of the Lord. The Table of the Eucharist is where the body and blood is consecrated and blessed for us to receive. It is always covered with colored seasonal linen.
This time of year, the altar is specially decorated for the Christmas season. With trees strung with lights, red and white poinsettias fill all around them. A manger scene sits in front of the table filled with all the wise men and the animals with Mary and Joseph after Jesus is born.
The walls are lined with garland with the evening light coming through the stained glass windows, each one hand made displaying different saints and scenes. Spanning the whole back of the church is the choir loft, home to organ that plays gracefully before the start of each mass. One by one, people trickle in through the big wooden doors, out of the cold, and are greeted by other parishioners. They touch their hand onto the holy water font to bless themselves with the sign of the cross before finding a seat for mass.
Just another Doctor office
Here she was, walking through the doors of another doctor office, the familiar sterile smell filled the air. She and her mom walked up to the receptionist. “Your name?”
“Lucy O'Malley, 11:15 appointment with Dr. Smith,” Her mother responded for her.
“You’ll need to fill out these forms. Do you have your insurance card and license so I can make a copy of them to put with your file?”
“Yeah, let me get those for you,” her mother said as she started to search around in her purse for the cards to give to the receptionist.
Lucy groaned, not wanting to fill out the same information again, when she knew this is a waste of time, as they go to find a place to sit.
“I know you don’t like this, but we have to do it to see if there is something else we have missed.” They started to fill out the forms. It asked for symptoms, family history, what medications she is currently taking. “Let’s see, symptoms include headache, sinus congestion and rash on the arm.
“Well, yeah, I suppose that’s what it is.” being one of her responses and spoken with boredom, “Mom, I don’t know, just put something down.”
“Anything else changed or that you want me to put?” she always asked her.
“No, I just want to go home.”
“Well, we can when we are finished here.”
“Can we go to Panera after we are done first?”
“We’ll see,” She responded as the nurse calls me back.
The nurse first takes Lucy back to measure her height and weight. The nurse continues to take her vitals - blood pressure, pulse and temperature. “All your vitals are normal.” She then starts to look over the forms they had filled out and started to ask them questions of specific symptoms. As the nurse left the room said “The doctor will be in soon.”
They waited and waited for what seemed to be an eternity. The doctor finally walked in and he started by “How are you doing today?”
“Well okay, but could be better,” Her mother responds.
“How can I help you today?”
“She continues to have itchy rashes on her arms, nasal congestion, itchy-watery eyes.”
“How long have you experienced these symptoms? What over the counter medicines have you tried?”
“She has been having these symptoms now for about three years. We have already saw one other allergist in the area, Dr. Patel, but didn’t feel like the diagnosis was correct. It seems to flare up during seasonal changes in the fall and spring, but still has troubles in the winter time.”
“Weather changes can have a huge effect on sinus, but could also be allergies causing this. Let me do my own physical exam of your heart, eyes, nose, throat to see if there is anything there.” the doctor instructs. Lucy moved to the examination table, as he gets his instruments out.
“Well, I don’t see anything that would sway me that it could be one thing or another. I think the next step is to do some testing on the skin to see what allergies you may have. I’m going to need you to change into this gown.” He sets it out for her as he leaves the room to get the necessary testing equipment. He returns a few minutes later with one of the nurses.
“We are going to need you to lie down on the table,” the nurse informs me.
The doctor places all the needles and cotton balls out onto the counter. “I’m going to clean spots on your back where I’m going to prick, then we will do six different allergens at a time for a total of 36 allergens.” It doesn’t take more than ten minutes to have all the pricks all over her back. “I’ll come back in after 15 to 20 minutes to see the reactions.”
She sat there waiting, it starts to itch and all she wanted to do is go get a smoothy from Panera. After the time had passed, the doctor comes back and examines which allergens she have had reactions to. “It looks like you are allergic to dust, dust mite, ragweed, pollen, grass, cat and dog dander.” the doctor informs me. “I’m going to prescribe you Claritin to be taken one tablet a day to start with and I will want to see you back in one month to see how it is working.”
I change back into my regular clothes and we head up to the receptionist to schedule the next appointment.
“Yeah we are finally done. Can we please go to Panera now mom?”
_
Here she was, walking through the doors of another doctor office, the familiar sterile smell filled the air. She and her mom walked up to the receptionist. “Your name?”
“Lucy O'Malley, 11:15 appointment with Dr. Smith,” Her mother responded for her.
“You’ll need to fill out these forms. Do you have your insurance card and license so I can make a copy of them to put with your file?”
“Yeah, let me get those for you,” her mother said as she started to search around in her purse for the cards to give to the receptionist.
Lucy groaned, not wanting to fill out the same information again, when she knew this is a waste of time, as they go to find a place to sit.
“I know you don’t like this, but we have to do it to see if there is something else we have missed.” They started to fill out the forms. It asked for symptoms, family history, what medications she is currently taking. “Let’s see, symptoms include headache, sinus congestion and rash on the arm.
“Well, yeah, I suppose that’s what it is.” being one of her responses and spoken with boredom, “Mom, I don’t know, just put something down.”
“Anything else changed or that you want me to put?” she always asked her.
“No, I just want to go home.”
“Well, we can when we are finished here.”
“Can we go to Panera after we are done first?”
“We’ll see,” She responded as the nurse calls me back.
The nurse first takes Lucy back to measure her height and weight. The nurse continues to take her vitals - blood pressure, pulse and temperature. “All your vitals are normal.” She then starts to look over the forms they had filled out and started to ask them questions of specific symptoms. As the nurse left the room said “The doctor will be in soon.”
They waited and waited for what seemed to be an eternity. The doctor finally walked in and he started by “How are you doing today?”
“Well okay, but could be better,” Her mother responds.
“How can I help you today?”
“She continues to have itchy rashes on her arms, nasal congestion, itchy-watery eyes.”
“How long have you experienced these symptoms? What over the counter medicines have you tried?”
“She has been having these symptoms now for about three years. We have already saw one other allergist in the area, Dr. Patel, but didn’t feel like the diagnosis was correct. It seems to flare up during seasonal changes in the fall and spring, but still has troubles in the winter time.”
“Weather changes can have a huge effect on sinus, but could also be allergies causing this. Let me do my own physical exam of your heart, eyes, nose, throat to see if there is anything there.” the doctor instructs. Lucy moved to the examination table, as he gets his instruments out.
“Well, I don’t see anything that would sway me that it could be one thing or another. I think the next step is to do some testing on the skin to see what allergies you may have. I’m going to need you to change into this gown.” He sets it out for her as he leaves the room to get the necessary testing equipment. He returns a few minutes later with one of the nurses.
“We are going to need you to lie down on the table,” the nurse informs me.
The doctor places all the needles and cotton balls out onto the counter. “I’m going to clean spots on your back where I’m going to prick, then we will do six different allergens at a time for a total of 36 allergens.” It doesn’t take more than ten minutes to have all the pricks all over her back. “I’ll come back in after 15 to 20 minutes to see the reactions.”
She sat there waiting, it starts to itch and all she wanted to do is go get a smoothy from Panera. After the time had passed, the doctor comes back and examines which allergens she have had reactions to. “It looks like you are allergic to dust, dust mite, ragweed, pollen, grass, cat and dog dander.” the doctor informs me. “I’m going to prescribe you Claritin to be taken one tablet a day to start with and I will want to see you back in one month to see how it is working.”
I change back into my regular clothes and we head up to the receptionist to schedule the next appointment.
“Yeah we are finally done. Can we please go to Panera now mom?”
_
![Picture](/uploads/7/1/3/0/7130771/1394919321.jpg)
The Last Swim
Sitting on the bench on the pool deck waiting to load the bus for our last conference meet, we seniors remembered back to freshman year when we hosted the conference meet. We couldn’t believe that four years have passed, a new coach, all those morning practices, the car rides to Saturday meets and here we are on our way to our last meet together. We hope that our season of work and that of injures too, will pay off today.
As I stand behind the block waiting for my event with a teammate in the lane next to me, I put on my cap and goggles, making sure they fit just right. I receive those last encouraging words from coach. All the work I have put in all season, he knows I can do. It’s all mental now. I know what I have to do to reach my goal.To drop time. The officials remind the timers to clear their timers. The next heat of swimmers step up behind the block, all ready to swim, their minds on the swim of their season. The official announces for us to step up on the blocks, getting our feet in position.
“Take your mark.” We bend down.
BEEP.
I fling my arms out in front of me, reaching for the other end of the pool. I let gravity pull me down into the water. As the chilled water rushes over my body, my first instinct is to swim fast so I can warm up. I start to kick up to the surface, I take my first strokes. At the first wall, I don’t see anyone close to me as I make my turn. I know this is my race and to own it. I keep my speed up, ignoring where the other girls are in the race. After the first 50, I still don’t see any other girls by me. I push hard that last 50, not wanting to give them a chance to catch up to me. After the last turn I sprit, like all those old man sets we do in practice, the muscle memory of doing this set over and over again comes back. I have just one 25 sprint left in the race, I know I can do this. At the flags I take my last breath, I can hear the coaches in my head, reminding not to take a breath from the flags in, I know I’m not going to lose the race in the last five yards, I put my last bit of energy into my kick as I finish strong into the wall. I look up and wait for the time appear. 1:13.83. I couldn’t believe it. My last race in my high school swimming career--it’s over. I knew I made it count. As the other girls finish, I let my heart rate come down. As I climb out, still not believing that I just dropped four seconds. I make my way over to coach to get post race feedback, “Awesome race. Now where was that speed earlier in the season?” with a smile on his face. I know he’s proud.
I find my water bottle, over by all my teammates, when they say “good swim” when I know most of didn’t actually watch the races. I proceed to take some nice long sips of the cool water, to rehydrate after that hard swim. I slowly make it into the warm down pool. I push of the wall streamlining out, taking long strokes to stretch out.
Even though I’m done for the day and for the season, some of my teammates aren’t. I bundle up in my warm ups ready to cheer on my team. I stand on the side of the pool shouting, “Go Maddy! Let’s go Bears!” watching as my teammate swim in one the final events of the day. “Awesome job Maddy. You were great out there.”
“Thanks, but look at that time.”
“That is a great time. Don’t worry about that you didn’t get that state qualifying time that you wanted, but you still have two more years. That gives you plenty of time to keep training to get that time. Now why don’t you go get a drink and get in a cool down.”
“Thanks, you had some great swims today. I can’t believe you are done.”
At the end of the day the captains reminded us that “We are still one team, yet we each have had individual goals throughout the season. We have seen how we’ve grown as a team throughout the season, but not just this season. For the seniors we have seen the team grow into what a team should be like, we hoped to have set the example for the underclassman to be able to continue and pass on. Here at the end of the season we are more than a team, we become a family.”
Sitting on the bench on the pool deck waiting to load the bus for our last conference meet, we seniors remembered back to freshman year when we hosted the conference meet. We couldn’t believe that four years have passed, a new coach, all those morning practices, the car rides to Saturday meets and here we are on our way to our last meet together. We hope that our season of work and that of injures too, will pay off today.
As I stand behind the block waiting for my event with a teammate in the lane next to me, I put on my cap and goggles, making sure they fit just right. I receive those last encouraging words from coach. All the work I have put in all season, he knows I can do. It’s all mental now. I know what I have to do to reach my goal.To drop time. The officials remind the timers to clear their timers. The next heat of swimmers step up behind the block, all ready to swim, their minds on the swim of their season. The official announces for us to step up on the blocks, getting our feet in position.
“Take your mark.” We bend down.
BEEP.
I fling my arms out in front of me, reaching for the other end of the pool. I let gravity pull me down into the water. As the chilled water rushes over my body, my first instinct is to swim fast so I can warm up. I start to kick up to the surface, I take my first strokes. At the first wall, I don’t see anyone close to me as I make my turn. I know this is my race and to own it. I keep my speed up, ignoring where the other girls are in the race. After the first 50, I still don’t see any other girls by me. I push hard that last 50, not wanting to give them a chance to catch up to me. After the last turn I sprit, like all those old man sets we do in practice, the muscle memory of doing this set over and over again comes back. I have just one 25 sprint left in the race, I know I can do this. At the flags I take my last breath, I can hear the coaches in my head, reminding not to take a breath from the flags in, I know I’m not going to lose the race in the last five yards, I put my last bit of energy into my kick as I finish strong into the wall. I look up and wait for the time appear. 1:13.83. I couldn’t believe it. My last race in my high school swimming career--it’s over. I knew I made it count. As the other girls finish, I let my heart rate come down. As I climb out, still not believing that I just dropped four seconds. I make my way over to coach to get post race feedback, “Awesome race. Now where was that speed earlier in the season?” with a smile on his face. I know he’s proud.
I find my water bottle, over by all my teammates, when they say “good swim” when I know most of didn’t actually watch the races. I proceed to take some nice long sips of the cool water, to rehydrate after that hard swim. I slowly make it into the warm down pool. I push of the wall streamlining out, taking long strokes to stretch out.
Even though I’m done for the day and for the season, some of my teammates aren’t. I bundle up in my warm ups ready to cheer on my team. I stand on the side of the pool shouting, “Go Maddy! Let’s go Bears!” watching as my teammate swim in one the final events of the day. “Awesome job Maddy. You were great out there.”
“Thanks, but look at that time.”
“That is a great time. Don’t worry about that you didn’t get that state qualifying time that you wanted, but you still have two more years. That gives you plenty of time to keep training to get that time. Now why don’t you go get a drink and get in a cool down.”
“Thanks, you had some great swims today. I can’t believe you are done.”
At the end of the day the captains reminded us that “We are still one team, yet we each have had individual goals throughout the season. We have seen how we’ve grown as a team throughout the season, but not just this season. For the seniors we have seen the team grow into what a team should be like, we hoped to have set the example for the underclassman to be able to continue and pass on. Here at the end of the season we are more than a team, we become a family.”