St. Anthony

"Dear St. Anthony , we do pray, help us to find Mom's glasses, right away."

It had already been a tough day. In fact, I had gone out for a quick walk up the street to calm myself down, taking my glasses off and placing them at my shirt collar. I returned home from my walk, continued directing traffic at home, only to eventually realize that my glasses were missing. They could be anywhere. My heart sunk. Then...

I heard my children pray to St. Anthony for me. While I was struggling with my own discouragement, they prayed. Their words pulled me from my self-pity. We began our search. We looked up and down the block. Nothing. We went through the whole house. Nothing. We looked up and down the block again. Nothing. We asked our neighbors if they had seen my glasses. They laughed and tried to cheer me up. Nothing. I emailed my prayerful friends at 4Real and asked them to pray to St. Anthony for me.

Seven hours into my lost glasses saga...FOUND! They were found by our live-in St. Anthony, my son who has had the knack for finding things and recently took Anthony as his confirmation name. The glasses were in front of our home in the desert decorative rocks...rocks that look a lot like my brown wire rimmed glasses. I never would have found them on my own.

Praying to St. Anthony is one of the sweetest family habits we have formed. Sweet and efficient! Here's another really sweet version of this prayer that my friend Victoria shared: Tony, Tony, look around, something's lost and must be found.

I am so grateful our family knows we are part of the Communion of Saints. Here's a shorter explanation and an even shorter explanation. I am also grateful that my children, friends, and St. Anthony care about something as small as my missing eyeglasses. Reminds me that we are to bring all things, big and small, to God.