An Eighth Shot of Espresso: Coffee and Creativity on Mum's Third Shift

Who says that death  must lead to nothingness?  No one who stays dead  returns to tell us otherwise  Religion and science  offer some explanation  But the truth is that  no one can say for sure  Those who claim they know  really have no idea It is a reassurance against their fear of the unknown

Long ago  in those days filial piety  dictated what you thought how you acted who you loved honor to the family put your heart in a box Age conferred wisdom and youth was always folly "Hardship builds character"  or so the saying goes  but it's just an excuse  for the elders to tell you  that you should suffer  just like they did. Even now and in some ways  that mindset  never really left. All from a good place a desire to see you do well but the bottom line is about control.

Fire and brimstone an image of torment for the transgressions against a whimsical god oh how their words thunder and the audience listens in awe and fear stray from the narrow path fall over the cliffs into a darkness too deep and horrible to fathom or escape such punishment literal in the afterlife made manifest in their sermons in the present life. The words are absolute to police the actions of the one  to secure the eternal life of the many The horror is now not in some imagined purgatory

Incense smoke wafts upwards in a great cloud obscures the view organ music echoes in the space notes ring with every pomp and circumstance sonorous voice chants the words in Latin: Gloria in excelsis Deo Pax hominibus eius in terra. Ritual steeped in mystery centuries old appeals to an ache in ancient souls no one even questions why it just is

Mom called and asked again if I went to church today I told her I'm spending time with the kids and yet again I told her that they would not sit still for Mass because of their issues. Selective hearing all she heard was "No." and demanded to know why and she said not all churches treat my kids like outcasts. I should know that. I should know better. I didn't tell her that if she was worried about my immortal soul and going to heaven she should take care of her own. Instead I wished her a Happy Easter smiling through my tears and just returned to what really matters my family and making my kids happy no matter what others say.