Welcome to the Church of the Holy Cabbage. Lettuce pray. ~Author Unknown

If you ever have watched the  Ricky Gervais Show on HBO – then you can kind of understand why I feel that “Lefty” is my “Karl Pilkington” – Oh my GAWD, I just crack myself up – sitting here laughing over my own sick sense of humor.  Her stories have me bursting with tears and laughter!!! And, it all makes me think of Gervais laughing over Karl’s stories… Now add that with DugDug, her long time friend, who is quite a character and story teller too – and I am totally entertained for hours…

♥♥♥Don’t discuss politics or religion at the dinner table♥♥♥

Lefty’s newest tale of childhood ~ her “Catholic” of “Latin Heritage” parents left her, a very young girl, and two younger siblings, for a week at a charismatic  Baptist summer camp while her parents went off sipping on Rumrunners and Pina Coladas on the beautiful white sands of the Bahamas… leaving her and her two brothers to be “saved”… I cannot even explain the cackling, roll on the floor laughter that spews forth from me at the picture of a very young, defiant, and mouthy Lefty and her two innocent, doe-eyed siblings in such a situation!  {by the way, Lefty said I need to write about myself! Told her too bad, she’s my muse}

Wikipedia: Charismatic is an umbrella term used to describe the belief that the gifts (Greek charismata χάρισμα, from charis χάρις, grace) of the Holy Spirit as described in the Christian New Testament are available to contemporary Christians through the filling with or baptism in the Holy Spirit, with-or-without the laying on of hands. These spiritual gifts are believed to be manifest in the form of signs, miracles, and wonders, including, but not limited to, glossolalia (speaking in tongues/languages), interpretation of tongues, prophecy, healing, and discernment of spirits (see, among others, 1 Corinthians 12-14).

Come to find out, DugDug, stayed with his grandmother “MeeMee” in the summertime {say that with a deep, booming, thick Southern drawl} – and his MeeMee would send him to the Charismatic Baptist church’s summer camp (OH my goodness, can it be, Lefty AND DugDug were sent off to the SAME summer camp!!)… The counselors told the impressionable young DugDug, that “he must be saved for you never know when it’s time for the ‘Rapture’ …and you MUST speak to your parents,” they would tell DugDug, “because if they aren’t saved, and Jesus comes for you, your parents won’t be in Heaven with you…and will be forever Damned”. Oh my!! DugDug, horrified, gets back to MeeMee’s house and is immediately on the phone (rotary wall phone)  dialing his parents long distance, this was the 1970s - “MAMA, have you been saved?” – Mama’s response, “Put your MeeMee on the phone!” …. I died laughing, I came back laughing, I still cannot stop laughing… that is ALL his mother ever said!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

So {I’ll write about “me” now – just for Lefty’s piece of mind} thanks to Mom and Dad, I was not scarred for life with thinking that I had to be “saved” and that my family would not be greeting me at the gates of Heaven when I depart this world… or that I was going to Hell in a Bread Basket… I have even raised my son to appreciate everyone’s views – and to make his own decision concerning religion … for me, I am just “spiritual” believing in God and goodness.  I grew up in a culturally mixed family – and I truly believe it makes for a better person –more willing to accept the difference in others.

In my family we spent the High Holidays celebrating over dinners with my Dad’s family, good memories; on Easter, we had egg decorating fun with my Mom and the baskets and egg hunt, Christmas was beautiful, always with getting a tree, and celebrating at home…and my Dad and his Bing Crosby Christmas album  {Makes me teary-eyed – because I miss all of that} Just because we did not go to a temple or church, I still had a good upbringing… I had the best of both worlds… and I learned to be a decent human being. 

 

One last bit for now: For being totally separated from the world of “religion” as a child, in many ways, I find it strange when I travel and find that I love to visit incredible Cathedrals.  I am amazed at the artwork, the stories and the beauty of some of the cathedrals, temples and churches I’ve visited…when I saw the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, painted by Rubens - it made me cry.  I cannot possibly be that much of a heathen to be brought to tears by such a beautiful spiritual piece!  Is it the part of my soul that was once a Catholic in another life?  It’s soul-moving – is it the little angels/cherubs floating her up to God, is it the incredible artistry, I believe it has to be all, plus more…