I felt I had to give it all…
I live in a small town, where there are only a few shops, and you don’t always find what you need. One morning, a poor, sick neighbor knocked at my door and, with a bashful smile, asked for some cooking oil. I needed what little I had for my own cooking, but I felt I had to give it all to her. When the time came to prepare lunch, I realized that I had to make do without oil, but I was happy. I was just going to handle the pot when someone knocked at my door. It was a nun; I had not seen her for quite some time because she lives far away. When I opened, she told me: “Come, I have something for you in the car.” And she gave me three boxes full of cooking oil: a total of 54 liters!
(G.V., Burundi)
If you give love…
After 20 years away from our country, my wife and I returned, to face the difficulties of settling down again. At first, we felt like strangers, as we had to start all over again, but we found strength in the words of the Gospel to open up to others, rebuild old relationships and make new friends. As we were not young when we got married, we decided that if we would have no children, we would offer the warmth of a family to those who do not have one. So we started the process of adoption. Some months ago, we received news of the arrival of “Veronica” and “Cesar” (not their real names), two little siblings from a faraway nation. We shared their photos with our new acquaintances and went to their place to pick them up. When we came back, a great welcome awaited us; a huge banner with a welcome sign for Veronica and Cesar was put up in our street, and there were lots of balloons and messages on the veranda of our house. We were also given clothes and other necessary things for these two children. How can we ever forget the great support we received! We are more than ever convinced that if you give love, you receive love.
(M.S.F., Spain)
A conspiracy of love
My mother-in-law was living alone; then she came to live with us, even though she had daughters who could take her in to stay with any of them. Her presence, very well accepted by mychildren, was an additional commitment for me, as I already had my own family to look after. She was suffering from a kind of arteriosclerosis, that made her talk to herself without realizing that she was being heard, and she often spoke ill of me. My children laughed at this situation, even though it really hurt me. Was this the “Thank you” for the care I was giving her? One day, when she was down with the flu, our conversation at table fell on “grandmother’s odd behavior.” My husband was very upset, but together we decided to live “a conspiracy of love,” which meant a greater effort to love her more, and in a better way. This was one of the most educational and fruitful moments in our family life. Many relatives, who often come to visit my mother-in-law, are amazed at the atmosphere that prevails in our family.
