The Most Wonderful Sound in the World!

"Mare, Mare, Mare," is a common phrase we hear in this house on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis...

This is Addie's name for "Mary," Our Mother.

Addie with aunt Katie and Mary at 4 months (May 2012)

"Mare" was one of Addie's first words, and is actually one of the only words she still says.

She wakes up most mornings saying it, and when I turn on the light, she has her pointer finger stretched out over her crib to show me the Nativity that is on her shelf; and then so seriously, with her bottom lip tucked under, she says, "Mare, Mare, Mare."  

Addie allowed to hold the Nativity Mary just this once ;)

Little does she know that while she is so pleased with herself for showing me Mary (she always has that pointer finger out, scanning each room to try to find her, literally everywhere we go), that I can't help but hold back the pleasure it gives me whenever she says it. 

This is how close she is usually allowed to be (notice the pointer in full effect)!

She recognizes Mary everywhere we are, even when Bill and I aren't looking.  It's almost as though she is always looking for her.

 She sees her in the Mary statue in the back yard (and the one in the garage during the winter), outside of church, inside church, at grandma's house, outside grandma's house, on prayer cards, in books - everywhere.  Then, the other day, she and Bill are standing in the corner of the kitchen and she starts to say, "Mare, Mare, Mare."  Bill turns to the window and points outside to the statue and says, "Yep, there she is" - but Addie is pointing behind him to a card with Mary on it that's on the side of the fridge.  Bill chuckles and says, "You're right, Boo Boo, I didn't even see her there!"

Even though she is only 12 months old, Addie reminds me of what's most important - to always look for the holy and divine and good in my day to day activities and to always have Our Mother Mary on my mind, thinking on all the ways she is touching our lives in the smallest ways!
Thank you, Adelaide, for reminding us of what really matters!

Christmas Eve Mass 2012 - Addie and the Nativity at church

Mosaic of Mary at St. Joan of Arc, where we sit at mass.