Calligraphy and Catholicism

"Let's start at the very beginning....a very good place to start." -Julie Andrews

Back in February I saw that Father Mike Schmitz was going to be on a "Parables" tour. I had no idea what that meant. But. I knew that my husband and I hadn't been on a date in years, our marriage definitely needed it and I needed tickets. A couple things stood in my way. Well one thing really. We couldn't afford it. It's surprisingly difficult to live on one income for 9 people....can you believe it?! But I never let things stop me (as you will learn) so I sent an email to a few unsuspecting Ascension employees until a very nice woman named Karyn responded and awarded me two tickets to his talk in Cincinnati in May...yesterday actually. BAM! BOOM! God can do anything. So I obviously thanked her and then completely forgot about it and went about my life. And by forgot....I mean FORGOT y'all. Like it wiped out of my mind and I never thought about it again.

Fast forward to Monday May 19,2025. Like three days ago. I'm putting the kids to bed and I usually turn on a Hallow rosary. That night I decided to see what this consecration to Joseph was. So I turn it on. And who's voice do I hear? Father Mike Schmitz. You're thinking "And then you remembered the tickets!"

Nope. In fact I thought..."wow he talks so fast the kids will never fall asleep. We need Jonathon Roumie." Then turned on the rosary. Next day...as I'm going about my life I see an email that says Fr Mike is on tour...and like being smacked by lightning I ignite! Oh crap! I forgot! Of course I did! I missed it! You idiot! So I go to my email searching low and behold that I have not (yet) missed it. It is infact in less than 24 hours from that moment. No big deal.

So I take to my phone! I first begin with texting my chain of babysitters because this will be a late one and I know for sure we will need a sitter.

First person. Can't.

Okay okay. That's cool. This is super short notice.

Second person. No. She's busy.

Slight panic. But still okay.

Third person. Left me on read.

No big deal. It's fine. This will be fine.

Last ditch effort to the busiest friend I have with 5 of her own children and an active schedule....call her...explain...she's in! Yes!

Now the hard part. Convincing my husband to go out on a weekday until likely 11pm-12am when he has to work at 4:30 the next morning. And not only that but the stage of the job that's he's in requires his full focus and attention AND may be one of the most stressful moments of the job. So he obviously needs a night out right? WRONG. He says NO.

HEART BROKEN!

I worked so tirelessly to get (then forget) these tickets! We were given VIP seats! And an opportunity to meet Fr Mile Schmitz!!!! Is he insane!!!!!!! He has to go. C'mon!

No.

Even after a thick lathering of Catholic guilt he could not be budged.

I called my sitter and told her I wouldn't need her. And in a very nonchalant way she said "I could be Elliot." Well. Yes Sharon, I suppose you can. In fact yes Sharon yes let's take this from date night to girls night out! Yes!!!! LFG!!!!

(I will just note this response was not my initial one. I was very disappointed Elliot wouldn't come and I shed a few tears and prayed a lot and then ran a mile really hard and fast on my treadmill. But God was like "Just go." So I did)

Orchestrating the kids. The groceries. Delivering sourdough orders. Picking up library books. Exercising. Going to the feed store. Showering. All of these things had to be done before I left. And when I say it was down to the wire I'm not kidding. And the wire was on fire hovering over a pool of alligators. It was an all hands on deck, mama is manic, eat whatever you can put in the air fryer...I gotta go. The shower was even a stretch but thankfully it did happen.

So I got out the door. Barely. I got to the parking lot of the theater. Before exiting the parking lot Sharon looks at me and asks if I have anything I want him to sign. Well crap! I didn't think about that. No. Maybe? I usually have some holy prayer card in my purse. Tonight. Nada por nada. I'm searching. All I find is the graduation announcement that Sharon had conveniently given me on the ride over to the show for her daughter Olivia. I'm serious. This is the only thing I have aside from a tiny Mary undoer of knots card that is all beat up. So. Okay? Yeah. Why not! Maybe I can get him to sign it FOR Olivia and give it to her as a graduation gift!!! Perfect. Tucked the envelope away and walked to the theater. I stood in line with my friend. All the while silently praying that same prayer I say a lot to God.

"Okay God...I'm here. Now you go."

Met Father Mike. Super cool guy. He was so kind. Somehow the farm was mentioned and I told him we do chickens and he asked how many fryers I had...23. He brought up how his sister had them and how grateful he was that we were there. He hugged me when I asked for one which I did because I knew that's what Elliot would have done if he'd come. I am NOT A HUGGER. Then I was rushed away.

NO NO NO!

I forgot to have him sign the thing for Olivia! Crap nuggets!

This is where most people would be like "oh well you met him, and you got the pictures and asked him to pray for your farm...it's all good homie." Nah. Not this homie. It nagged at me for the next few minutes. And he was still doing meet and greets. There has to be a way.

I don't know how well you know me. But when I get an idea or something in my head and I want it bad enough....I get it. Shoot when I was 12 I told my friend Lauren Lopez I was going to marry Elliot Gonzalez one day...and by golly....I did! Tenacity is my specialty! So Sharon and I mosey back into the area outside the lobby and run into a blue shirted man named Charles. I very nonchalantly ask Charles how hard it would be to get back in to see Father Mike to get his signature on the thing because of the girl etc. He responds "It's actually my job to stop people from going back inside that room where the talent is." Buuuhhh Charles for real?! No. I do not accept this. So I begin to shmooze Charles. He is not being persuaded. In fact he mentions how he used to be a teacher and that he's very good at saying no. But little by little I can see that I am chipping away at his walls. He even begins to believe that somehow...not because of him...I am going to get this signature. Then Sharon mentions a very small detail that could sink this ship.....we have no pen. I defeatedly exhale and begin to look around. Nothing. No pens. No pencils? What is this place! Charles looks at me and says "Oh that's too bad." As he reaches into his pocket and pulls from it a green...yes green fountain pen. Like the ones with the pointy tip that William Shakespeare wrote with IN THE 1500s!!!!! Who even are you Charles? What is this!!!! Did I mention the entire front of the graduation announcement is a picture of Olivia in a tree....a green tree! Wtf.

Whatever. I got this. I can do this. But just because I have this pen doesn't mean Charles is letting me through. He doesn't want to lose his job and I don't want to get him fired. But I can feel it...I will do this. Then suddenly a dark haired woman calls out "Charles can you please go relieve...." Didn't hear their name. But that means Charles will be leaving his post and will no longer be responsible for keeping me away from "the talent". He looks at me and I look back....he says "nows your chance," I hold up the pen in confusion. "Find me." And he disappears!

Okay now is my chance. Okay. Do it. Go!

I bolt into the lobby in a very cool, I'm supposed to be here way. And there he is. Standing there all by himself. Almost like he's waiting for me to approach him and ask for this signature. I'm doing it! It's happening! "Fr Mike!" I yell out...casually of course. And suddenly there are 3-5 people looking at me this tattooed 5'2 person approaching the talent with a pen and paper. And I realize...in that moment...this is where I die. A very large beefy gentleman joins the circle and I just blurt out in the fastest speed I have "Remember me? I was with my friend? Her daughter is graduating and I just wondered if you can sign this announcement so I can give it to her as a gift please! Sorry about the William Shakespeare pen it's all I could find! I know it's super awkward. PLEASE!" Now I'm surrounded by these 5 people and pretty sure I'm about to be escorted out of a Catholic talk by this Sampson like dude and Sharon will get to see the talk while I get bailed out of jail by my husband.

Good times.

But Father Mike just looks around and smiles and says "Sure." Takes the card and the medieval pen, finds this very tiny white section on the back and signs it "Trust God. Fr. Mike Schmitz." Hands it back with the pen and shakes my hand again. Then I AM escorted away by a blue shirted woman with white hair back into the hallway where Sharon is waiting. As we both SWOON over this most amazing treasure I realize....the pen! I have to find Charles! He will be so happy I got this signature.

I may be downplaying the interaction with him. Don't ask me why. But when I meet new people...for whatever reason...I instantly become long lost friends with them and end up knowing multiple details about their life. Sometimes very intimate details. I used to get super annoyed by this. But now I look at it as their way of telling me how to pray for them. Charles was divorced. Has five children. Was a teacher for autistic children but isn't anymore and is working at the theater to make ends meet. Which I get. He enjoys spending time with his kids but can't give them gifts like he'd like to and doesn't want hand outs. And he trusts a random stranger with his very cool pen.

I have to find him. I go downstairs. Nothing. But by now I've realized that the blue shirted people are his people. They are theater employees and likely all know each other. So I find one and I ask her if she knows Charles. She does! I ask her to give him the pen and to please tell him "The lady wants you to know she got it!" She disappears into a room I'm unpermitted to go in and since I've almost been arrested in rooms I'm not supposed to be in...I decide I will let her handle this for me.

I go watch the talk. I sit next to a lovely woman. I randomly tell her I'm proud of her. I realize somehow our circle is actually attached and we know each other in a weird back alley way. The show ends. We all clap. Father prays. And the audience begins to dispense. Did I mention that I drank about a half gallon of water before going to this event? Like on the drive there. I have likely emptied my bladder 64 times in 3 hours. So after the show when everyone stands to clap I realize....I gotta go. Thankfully Sharon doesn't mind waiting in line with me...again, again, again. And while I'm in the stall I say

"St Anthony of Padua, please come around. Something is lost and can't be found. Please pray for me that I will find Charles. Amen".

Flush. Wash. Walk out. As I enter the same lobby that I once saw my life flashing before my eyes in I see him! It's Charles!!!!!!

"CHARLES!" I yell out!

He looks up.

"I GOT IT!"

He smiles and says "I know !".

I literally walk over to him and hug him like we've known each other for years!!!! He's so happy. I'm so happy. Sharon is laughing while she snaps a picture of the two of us. My favorite picture of the night.

As we walk away Charles says "Hey congratulations on your daughter's graduation!" We exit. This night was everything. I told God to go...and he did!

So many things I took from last night. Heard some very specific things from God. Questions I've been asking for the last hard year...answered. Feels like the lights came on. But that one interaction. Charles. Was the highlight. And I asked myself why. Why him?

Sure I have these answers. And I will do the things God is asking me to do. I fight and kick and scream but inevitably I always do what God asks me. So I will. He wants me to write. There's this book thing and he wants me to do it. And I'm scared and it's hard. And it won't be fun. And it's messy. And who knows if I will even succeed. But I'll do it. Because it's what He wants and I so clearly heard that last night. But why?

For Charles. Charles is the reason. Well maybe not him specifically. But because of people like him. And possibly him too. Because that regular man who I met, met Jesus through me. We connected because I saw in him something that tethered us together for that brief moment in an hourglass of single grains of sand. Moments I will have compiled and written to somehow give to the world that tell of my healing and my journey and my conversion. The tug of war waging for my soul on a daily basis that's full of addiction and pain and sin. And the humanity of it all makes me approachable to Charles. Makes Charles feel comfortable enough to share a small bit of his pains with me so that I can have the opportunity to love him and pray for him and show him Jesus in a very small way. But maybe the only way he saw Jesus that day.

I took a lot of pictures last night. I heard a lot of beautiful things and met a lot of amazing Catholic people. But that very weird man named Charles Means who gave me his Renaissance pen and trusted me with his struggles honored me by letting me help to shoulder his cross even if only for a moment. Best part of the night was the hug at the end from him like two old friends who reunited after years of distance. I will cherish that embrace and I walk boldly and courageously towards the path that scares me to death to walk. To share the vulnerable parts of my journey to Jesus. For Charles.