Cradled
My time with Ralph was like nothing I had ever experienced. I had been highly influenced by the Franciscans of the Catholic Church, namely Fr. Richard Rohr and Fr. Niblick. The Franciscans have a unique role in the church and follow the teachings and example of St. Francis. One of my big takaways was that God is in every thing. My first big revelation of this fact (a fact I had heard since I was a kid, but didnt really get) was seeing God in Ralph. The pure love that this animal had and the absolute perfection of every hair on his nose, was astonishing. Ralphie gets dressed up. I recall the evening of my "God experience," I was in my dining room relaxing in a chair, contemplating the loss of closeness with my daughter that had been a effect of my divorce. I remember the wisdom of Fr. Rohr from his book "Falling Upward" about allowing things to fall apart, not just a little, but really allowing yourself to feel all the catastrophe that was insid...
