I knew the kielbasa dinner would have Gary and his family monopolizing the in-laws' bathroom, so I planted myself in the lesser-used master bathroom.
"Hi, Jesus" I said to the shiny rosary hanging on the wall opposite me at eye level. He just stared back. I went about my business and avoided further eye contact with the Savior. I stared instead at the calendar behind Him.
My mother-in-law always annotates calendars, so it's fun to see what she's up to. This month includes a friend's birthday, the day the nephew returns from Emen-Yay, the day the dog goes to the vet.
This calendar didn't appear to be a Catholic calendar. No feast days were pointed out. Instead, there were days highlighted with crossed American flags. The first I noticed was right next to Jesus, Sept 18, National POW/MIA Recognition Day. "Pray for our troops" it said. I realized POW/MIAs need their own day: Memorial Day is for the dead and Veterans Day is for the living.
Then I noticed Sept 7th had the same flags. "Labor Day. Pray for our troops."
Now, I've always thought of Labor Day as a reaction to the Haymarket riots, or the Triangle fire. A slightly socialist day. I thought, "Shouldn't that be 'Pray for our unions? Pray for our coal miners? Pray for auto workers in the paint shop?" (One summer I taught at the auto plant someone died from the heat in the paint shop.)
I asked the mother-in-law about it, and she'd wondered too. I was thinking she'd say all holidays have a crossed flag and "Pray for our troops." Halloween. Earth Day. Juneteenth. I would have looked myself but I'd have to move the rosary and I figured that would burn.
You know what's funny? I totally thought about this today. You see, my intent, like many New Yorkers, is to hang our flag on our fire escape on Sept 11 -- only Fred won't be home to do it (I get dizzy out there) so I asked him to hang it tomorrow morning. And then I thought, "Is it weird to hang a flag on Labor Day?" but then I thought, "Why not? There are military troops all over the place working while we take a day off to chill." So, okay, I'm just going to leave our flag up all week.
Posted by: Tray Table Stowed | September 06, 2009 at 11:02 PM
So, I guess there was no "Roshashanah - pray for our troops"?
Posted by: magpie | September 07, 2009 at 05:21 AM
The calendar I got from my (Catholic) church has Yom Kippur on it. No rosary hanging in front of it, though.
Sept 30 is the feast day for St. Jerome, the patron saint of librarians. St. Jerome rocks.
Posted by: Becs | September 07, 2009 at 07:55 AM
Good job on the spelling there Magpie! :)
I'm surprised there is no "Pray for the Jews" that day. hehehe
Posted by: #0.75 | September 07, 2009 at 09:26 AM
Luckybwaygirl - Why not! Our neighbor has a flag out all the time. He does have a light illuminating it, but I don't think it comes in when it rains.
Magpie - You are going to pay for that on Rosh Hashanah. (And I didn't look that up, so I stand solidly with you on the spelling ignorance.)
Becs - I also looked up the saints days in September, and one was Good King (and evidently Saint) Wenceslaus, Patron Saint of ...winter fuel. Er, Bohemia.
.75 - Every day is "Pray for the Jews" day ... Look, you set yourself up for that.
Posted by: TheQueen | September 08, 2009 at 12:48 AM
I never knew MIA/POW day was on my birthday. Am I still allowed to have fun as long as I've prayed for the troops?
Posted by: Caroline | September 08, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Caroline - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH!
Posted by: TheQueen | September 09, 2009 at 12:19 AM
Plus isn't it Ramadan? Pray for our troops. Oh what the hell, they should just all come home AND get a day off.
Posted by: gaoo | September 09, 2009 at 08:07 AM
Gaoo - Amen to that.
Posted by: TheQueen | September 10, 2009 at 01:37 AM
.75 - Every day is "Pray for the Jews" day . That's right, baby. You prayed for my people yet, today?
Posted by: Tami | September 10, 2009 at 12:49 PM
Tami - Hey! I made a babka today. We should be cool.
Posted by: TheQueen | September 11, 2009 at 12:18 AM