Free At Last

Ahh. It sure does feel good to be free from the constraints of a hospital bed. Hey, don't get me wrong! I loved the nurses in Gemelli Polyclinic and they sure know how to make a guy feel at home, even an ailing Pope. But there is nothing like your own bed and your own bathroom and, if I can reveal a secret, your own train-set, to put a man at ease.

I was a bit worried coming home because Ratzie was on his own for nearly two weeks and you know what he can end up doing. Fortunately he hadn't tried to rename the moons of Jupiter after saints or employed a clown to throw cream pies at the head of the Lutheran church in Germany. He behaved himself and received visitors in my absence and he also cleaned the apartment up before I came home. I love Ratzie. I try to love all people as unique instantiations of the incarnated Christ but I really love Ratzie like a brother. But when he's constantly leaving his stuff around the place and never washing up after himself, even my patience is tried.

But there were no pizza boxes or messages from Fatima strewn around the coffee table and for that, along with many many things given to us solely by the grace of God, I can be thankful tonight.

Now, please forgive me, my children, but there is a train set that needs attention!

This made me laugh when Cardinal Soldano brought it over on his new i-book on Monday.