Harry

May 17, 2014

Planting Seeds of Doubt

seeds-of-doubtEarlier this year while I was at a church-related function, I ran into some relatives — a married couple — who are about 20 years older than I am.  After we talked for short time, a priest (who is in his 60s and a friend of the couple) walked up to us and joined in the conversation.

May 10, 2014

Too Tired To Care

TiredLast weekend, Georgette and I attended two First Holy Communion Masses.  The first Mass was on Saturday, and the second was on Sunday.  One of the most refreshing experiences for me is to witness young, innocent seven-year-old children receiving our Lord for the first time.  At that age, children are still bursting with energy, enthusiasm, and hope for the future, and they have not yet been infected with the poisons of cynicism and resentment.

May 3, 2014

A Client Who Thought He Was Invincible

InvincibleLast month while I was at a party, I ran into a man that I had assisted with some legal problems in the mid-1980s.   (For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call him “Mark.”)  When I saw Mark at the party he didn’t look very well to me.  In addition to being extremely thin, his skin looked dull and pasty.

April 26, 2014

What Lovers Often Do

 

April 21, 2014

An (Almost) Irresistible Offer

The year was 1993.  One of my cousins had recently gotten engaged and her dad told her and her fianc? that he had a proposal for them.  He was willing to pay them $20,000 if they were willing to agree to have a small wedding that only included immediate family members.  The offer came after the wedding invitation list had grown to more than 400 people.  While the groom was interested in accepting the money, the bride put her foot down and insisted that they follow through with the traditional wedding they were planning.

April 19, 2014

A Reason To Smile

SmileAbout five years ago, I was attending a weekday Mass at a local church.  Halfway through the Mass, two women in their sixties snuck in the side door of the church and ran over to the nearest pew.  Both women were wearing gray sweatshirts.  The way they scurried over to the pew reminded me of the animated mice you would see in a Disney movie — because the women were short, pudgy, cute, and grinning from ear to ear.

April 12, 2014

The Real Secret to Weight Loss and Holiness

Weight LossOne of my older brothers, Mike, is a medical doctor who lives in California with his wife and family.  I see Mike about once a year, usually at a family function.  Mike was recently in Peoria with his wife and one of their children for a family wedding.  Mike is 61 years old and he looks like a movie star.  He’s tall, slim, and good-looking.  If you asked me who he looks like, I would say that he looks like a cross between the modern-day actor George Clooney and the legendary actor Omar Sharif.

April 5, 2014

Dealing With The Dirty Laundry

Laundry RemovalI was born on the same day that my grandfather, Harry LaHood, was buried.  My grandfather died on May 17, 1957.  My mom and dad attended his funeral Mass on May 20, and then went to the cemetery for the burial service.  Mom’s contractions had started earlier in the day and became more intense while she and Dad were at the cemetery.  After the burial service was finished, Mom told Dad that she needed to go to the hospital.  I was born later that day, and Mom gave me the same name as her father.

March 29, 2014

The Burial of a Loved One

Burial of JesusWhen I was 13 years old, a cousin of mine died as a result of a tragic accident.  He was 11 years old at the time of his death.  The day after he died, my parents and I went over to his parents’ house to visit his family.  I went with my parents because I had been a good friend of my cousin and still was a good friend of his older brother.

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