The Brave Little Pumpkin

Happy All Saint's Day! The local newspaper sponsors a Halloween story contest each year, and I entered for the first time.  Alas I did not win, but here's the best story Mary could put together in 600 words or fewer.

The Brave Little Pumpkin

In a valley between a small grove of the prettiest trees and the loveliest little pond lay the cutest tiny pumpkin patch. A young little pumpkin lived there with her parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant relatives of every kind. She loved the beginning of each day when pumpkins and flowers became radiant as they were kissed by the rising sun, and the colorful birds serenaded them with their music. She loved when the farmer’s young son came to skip rocks across the pond and would talk to them about his playful puppies and how there were two new calves and how Banny the Hen wouldn’t lay until they put a golf ball in her nest! The little pumpkin felt that she would burst with happiness because she loved the trees swaying in the breeze and the pond glistening in the sunlight and the birds’ songs.

One ordinary morning, the new sun woke the little pumpkin and she shook away the night's sleep as she slowly opened her eyes. Her parents, brothers, sisters and nearly all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant relatives were GONE. She shook with tears and wondered how this could be, because after all it's very hard for a pumpkin to steal away unnoticed. Suddenly she heard a familiar sound of squeaky wheels turning and there was the farmer's son pulling his wagon. She would get his attention and he would help her find her missing family! Pulling herself up to her full height, she imagined herself glowing brightly in the sunlight. “Pick me. Pick me,” she whispered to herself. As if by magic, the boy came straight to her.

“Why, you're a brave little pumpkin left here all by yourself,” said the boy and he plucked the grateful little one from her bed and put her in the wagon. She could not believe what she was seeing. Her world had been so small, but now the land and sky seemed to stretch on forever. As the boy traveled along the long gravel road, she was amazed at the big fields and the even bigger groves of trees. The path was rough, but the little pumpkin didn't mind at all the bumps because she thought about seeing her brothers and sisters, parents, cousins and other relatives. The boy said “almost there” and then there were buildings, cows, Banny the Hen, and...what was THAT?

Familiar globes of orange decorated one of the buildings and some lay in the grass in front of it. She frantically scanned until finally – “Mama! Papa!” – and her brothers and sisters were found! But something wasn't right. She winced and cried out to herself. Her family had been carved! But they did not seem to be in pain. In fact, they looked rather happy. They noticed her and glowed as brightly as they could muster. The little boy gingerly set her on the porch with her family, and she was full of joy. Later, the brave little pumpkin sighed with resignation as the blade approached. She cringed as the first cut was made, but steeled herself. She held her breath, then soon the job was finished. Her relatives looked at her approvingly, and she knew she was beautiful.

That Halloween night, the boy and his parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, and distant relatives of every kind placed candles inside all of them and they glowed as brightly as ever. The brave little pumpkin was warm and content because she had even more than ever could be wanted.

How a Mass in German led to a new beginning

The email was ordinary enough: Attend the German Mass This Sunday at Old St. Mary's, and hear the Munich Harmonic Brass play the Schubert Mass.

But it changed everything.

Coincidentally, Older Daughter had mentioned a few days before that she'd like to attend a Mass in German at this gorgeous church, and when I got the email, it seemed perfect.  After all, that Sunday was her birthday.

So last-minute plans were made, a substitute musician was found, and away we went.

We arrived at the church quite early and were relieved to see the security officer at the steps of the church, since it's in mission territory (to put it politely.) As we left the car, we could hear Gregorian chant coming through the open windows.  Hurrying in, we hoped to hear the end of the prior Mass, but were surprised to hear that they had only just finished the Offertory chant.  Bonus!  So we were able to attend the last half of the Novus Ordo Latin Mass.  (The Extraordinary Form was celebrated at 7 a.m.)  By the time Mass finished, there were only 15 minutes left until the Mass in German.

Now you may have thought when you started reading that having a brass group playing music at Mass would be quite irreverent and obnoxious.  Secretly, I may have thought it myself, and I'm pleased to say I was completely wrong.  The instruments were completely tamed and mastered by their players, and the music was not only superb, but reverent.  The music truly was part of Mass and never felt or sounded like a "performance." This is the Mass that I play at my church job, and having learned to pronounce German during Class Voice at university, I was pleased to be able to sing along most of the time.

It was during this day that I fully realized that at this time next year, my two oldest children will have left home-- one for grad school (perhaps abroad) and the other for college.  We have little time left to enjoy leaving at the last minute for a weekend (especially for Sunday Mass, since we are "church tourists") as a whole family based out of our home.  Although this greatly saddens me, especially since I like my children and enjoy having them around, I have become determined to make the most of the time we have left, and to that end, I sent my resignation last night to the rector. I have no plans to pursue another weekly organist job, but will instead market myself as a substitute.

Already, I arranged to take improvisation lessons after the new year with a Catholic cathedral organist. I'm obligated to my current job for another three months, although I hope to be released before that.  The new year should bring a fresh beginning to the next phase of our lives.