Gaudeamus igitur...

Gaudeamus igitur,
Juvenus dum sumus;
Post iucundum iuventutem,
Post molestam senectutem
Nos habebit humus.

Let us therefore rejoice,
While we are young;
After our youth,
After a troublesome old age
The ground will have us.

Long have we been acquainted with the adage that life is short. At some point, years ago now and at a time when our children were younger, we began to realize that the phrase doesn't mean what we thought it meant. Yes, life is short - so brief as to be a drop in a vast pool of water it sometimes seems - and so we should live well, not race to enjoy what we can while we have the chance, throwing all caution to the wind. If all is vanity, our substance should be everlasting, not temporal. And the happy moments do come, and we embrace them with all our might! Putting things in the proper order (faith and family first) we noticed a trend of abundant and unforeseen blessings. The Benedictine rule of ora et labora has been employed in all our tasks, and we've heartily enjoyed the feasting times when they come and after the hard work is done. Recently, we were afforded another beautiful glimpse of heaven when we celebrated our daughter's graduation - our first home school graduate - and reaped the wonderful fruits of good friendship, the rewards that come after labor, and the graces that come of diligent prayer. 

We set the day as closely as we could, given our simple means, to the best graduations we've ever witnessed, belting out a rousing Gaudeamus Igitur and letting our daughter walk in procession, saying a few brief words about why we live and educate the way we do, giving due thanks to God and our greatest advocate, Our Lady. Good food and happy music abounded, and glad conversations ran long. Nature did its part, too: the sun brightly shone, the sky gleamed blue, the birds sang, and the grass and trees were prettily green, and a light breeze kept us all comfortable. It was a good day, and we are happy for our daughter who manifests God's love for us and who gives us amiable proof that pursuing good, true, and beautiful things is most profitable. 

It rained for most of the entire week after this graduation party, and while we hosted extended guests we had a pretty lax time as the weather prevented any usual outdoor chores. Now the party guests are departed, and the rain is done. Wood is being stacked, fence post holes are being dug, the fields are being mown, and we are all going to bed good and tired and grateful. Rejoice while young, but do not live like the grasshopper who finds himself cold and hungry in winter!