I know that when eutrapelia made our Wreath III list, a number of you scratched your head – whaaat is eutrapelia??
I even got a telephone call from a Mom who was convinced it wasn’t. I don’t think my sorry attempt, even name dropping Aquinas and Aristotle did little to sway her. I hung up feeling drained and down-hearted, the exact opposite of eutrapelia.
I know I did do the research, I spoke to several smarter-than-me people about adding it to our wreaths. It seemed perfect to have Mary and Martha illustrate the point that there is a time and place for everything from sitting at the Lord’s knee, to serving others, to playing! But, over the years, at times replaying the telephone call in my head, I would wonder.
Then this weekend I saw this: We need more eutrapelia! over at the National Catholic Register.
Seeing the title was enough to lift my heart and make me laugh! I felt vindicated. Author Kathy Schiffer’s words are perfect for the season. Hey, it might even inspire some folks to make New Year resolutions to bring a little more pleasantness into their lives or at least reduce the amount of coarse humor their eyes, ears and souls are subjected to through social media.
For me, it felt like a early Christmas present. I felt that old conversation’s painful memory loosen its hold and melt away. I felt as light as a dandelion’s puff floating through the sky. Thank you, Lord for the reminder – “A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones.” (Prov. 17:22)
