New School Year, New Way

Dear readers:

What's St. Therese smiling at in the picture above? She reminds me of the Mona Lisa. Perhaps she was thinking of a private joke between sisters: Her older sister, Celine, loved to take photographs and likely took this one. We have her to thank for all of the photos we now have of St. Therese. If Celine had not enjoyed photography so much, we might not even know what St. Therese looked like!

Most of you are all starting a new school year: making new friends, meeting new teachers, getting adjusted to waking up early. For me that's the hard part: I have to admit I like to stay up late and sleep in! But we'll all get adjusted soon enough, if we haven't already.

Starting a new school year can be tough sometimes. So many changes at once, it seems. Don't worry; you'll be able to handle it all. Lean on the saints for help if you get frustrated. Most of them had trials and tribulations of their own. Even the Little Flower struggled with school and friends. No, she certainly wasn't perfect; none of us are.

But her Little Way is a perfect way to get to know new friends, keep old ones, help your teachers and parents, and, of course, make God very happy. Try doing something nice for someone and see what happens as a result of it. It doesn't have to be anything huge; even a smile for the new girl or boy in class could make his or her day. Try to put yourself in his or her shoes and think about what it would feel like to be new, just like Olivia was in Olivia and the Little Way. Or, if you're the new kid, try not to be shy: Trust that the kids in your new school are eager to help you out. And trust that God is looking out for you, because HE IS!

So smile! It's a new school year— the perfect time to start a new Little Way of serving God!