It's true, you know

Ash Wednesday is almost here and the whole family will troop to church together to get ashes. Even Holly, loud, rambling, fussy, Holly. I'll tough it out at Mass for the ashes. For me, for the kids, to remember. Why bother? It is not easy taking a baby to Mass, especially one that is expected to be a packed house. And some of those other people don't always welcome the noisy little ones.

Most Sundays we run what I like to call the "split shift". Lee takes some children to one Mass, I take others to another, but Holly stays home. Not always, but most Sundays it is too exhausting to take her. We have a child care room and that lady is very nice. Still, I prefer for Holly to stay with one of us, if she can.

But back to Ash Wednesday. This is one of those holy days, that we usually attend altogether. It is worth the effort because it's true.

My dad once had a friend who just couldn't believe. Maybe he didn't believe in Jesus, or was it God? But here's Dad's great answer:

• Think of someone you know who has recently died. Someone you knew well.
• Now, go find 12 of your best closest friends or family members. And convince them that your friend who died is now alive. Walking, talking and eating dinner with you.
• Once you have convinced your 12 friends, go and convince 500 other people. That someone you knew who died and was buried is now alive.
  

I am pretty sure I couldn't do it. Because it wouldn't be true. And because it would be easy to prove that I was lying.

Peter did though. And Paul. And Andrew, Matthew, John, James, Thomas, Jude, Philip, James, Bartholomew, Simon, and Matthias.

It's true, you know.