Good (God) Saturday

Saturday I spent running around the bay area. Went from Berkeley to Oakland to SF to Castro Valley to Berkeley to Alameda. Left home at 9am, didn't really get back til 11:30p.

SF was a lunch for the "Before Their Words" cast. Maiana cooking some super tasty black eyed peas, tofu and tomatoes, and steamed broccoli. Though ironically, the conversation wandered to a fasting/cleansing method called Master Cleanse, also known as the lemonade diet. Now that there are just so many toxins out in the world, the hippest new thing is to do a cleansing of the bodily system since we can't control the world. They tell me it was a really good experience for them, slightly emotionally straining as they had to re-envision their relationship and need for food. I'm intrigued but will have to think about it some more.

Castro Valley - My cousin's grandfather passed away on Tuesday. His wake was Saturday. He was 76. My dad's side of the family is not as close as my mom's side. On my mom's side, when something happens EVERYONE knows. When something happens on my dad's side, people keep it hush for as long as they can until you just can't keep it quiet no more. So, there was plenty of drama to go around. I think it's the way each family reacts to criticism. My mom's side, there's so many people and so many critiques, people don't care anymore. Sure, people will be mad for a bit, but eventually they figure it out and talk to them or at least show up to parties. Then again, people on my dad's side don't want to give grandma a heart attack. Good to reconnect to cousins on that side.

Alameda - attended Easter Vigil, which I prefer over Easter Sunday Mass. They bless all the fire, the water, the bread. They start with the lights out and we listen to the stories with only the book lamp illuminating the reader's face. Songs too have this magical glow in the dark.

Then we all march outside to lite and bless the fire. That's when I run into my old high school english teacher. She didn't expect to see me here and we're both really glad to see each other. We have an interesting connection. She was a tremendous mentor and guide during my high school years. And somehow, we always run into each other every few years, and catch up on each other's lives. She's old enough to be my mother. In fact her daughter is around my age. But we've always had this connection. I could never lie to her. While I often hid the stress and emotion I would go through to everyone else, she always knew. We chat afterwards, exchange phone numbers, make plans to visit during the summer.

Easter Vigil continues as we watch adult baptism, communion, and confirmation all in the same night. I think about these "vows" that supposedly I have also agreed to and wonder in my heart if I still agree. I'm happy for these people this night. Church and religion is something they come to, not something expected or assumed. You can tell they want to be here. It's a feeling that's much different from the colonized idea of religion, the way it is used to control and dominate a people. God doesn't choose me, I choose God.

One of the women being baptized is a high school student. Father Rich is just dumping pitchers of water on them. She tries to ask Father Rich to just do it a little. She doesn't know Father Rich that well. He's a character. A request like this, he just can't resist. He does pour just a little bit of water the first two times, then just dumps the full pitcher of water on her.

In the tub they are baptized in, are two yellow rubber duckies. Blessed ones I'm sure. One of the younger kids, picks one up and shows the congregation. He smiles, then the cold water is poured on him.

We wait as the baptized get dressed and the women try to do their hair. While some borrow the church white robes, others are dressed in lovely white embroidered dresses. One young fellow is in an all white suit with white bow tie as the organist and brass quartet play in the loft above.