This morning Christie was too sick to go to church. When she decided not to go we had a disagreement about whether I should take Ivan. When she first spoke about it she presumed I would be taking him. I presumed he would be staying home. Somewhere in there one of us talked angrily to the other and we both ended up griping at each other. > resentful

I realized that I hadn't necessarily made a decision either way about it yet. A short time later I thought some more about it and decided to take him.

As I thought about our argument I realized that we argued because of the way we speak to each other and presume things.

At mass Fr. Barry was ill with his diabetes and had to go to the hospital. Deacon John had to fill in. The gospel was from Luke about "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."

I thought about what this means for me, that my cross is to persevere to be patient and forgiving and loving to Christie and to keep trying to treat her more respectfully even though it goes against my nature.

We were kind to each other when I got home.