Flowers and Goats

I heard a story that saddened me yesterday. I was talking to a security guard who was standing next to some cut flowers in a vase. I asked whether someone gave them to him. He told me they were for a young woman who works with him for her birthday. I said, "I bet your wife would like some flowers," and he said, "Father, she would reject them." He continued, "There are two types of women in Jordan. My wife is of the kind who would throw the flowers away because they are a waste of money and the funds could have been used for a more practical purpose. Most of the women in Jordan are like that. She will never accept flowers."

I want to buy him some flowers so he can give them to her, but it sounds like it would put him in hot water. Flowers represent beauty and everyone needs some respite of beauty in their lives.

I was happy to see that drivers are equal opportunists. A herd of goats was crossing one of the downtown streets and drivers accelerated their speed once they saw the goats. Whether you are human or goat, you are not wanted on the roads.

We are preparing for a move for one of our parishes. Our Saturday mass will move from a section of town called Sweifieh to Jebel L'Webdeih because there will be no masses preceding or following our mass. We'll have the opportunity to worship at a leisurely pace. It is a win-win all around, but I'm sure the change management process will require much work.