Paulette Jameson is my storyteller of decades.  I am always excited to hear her stories.  They always leave me in awe of God.  This story has a happy ending.  So, I would like to relay the story hoping that you will find that it has an effect on you, my readers, too!  At the end, please share your thoughts.  Thanks!

Please excuse the sentence structures and grammar.  Paulette and I are informal in our texting. 🙂

Paulette:  I told you about my French teacher, yes?

Me:  No.  Please tell the story.

Paulette:  She had a Catholic marriage to a man from Lithuania, and they came to Houston in the 1960’s, four children, maybe five.

She took a position teaching French at my school – she was from Limoges.

Unfortunately, her husband was very unfaithful, many times, with many women, and once they arrived at my school, he began an affair with the teacher of the kindergarten.

This was so obvious and so embarrassing to her because it was a woman she worked with and saw 5 days a week.

So, she asked her good French priest what to do.  Father Joubert.  A man who inspired devotion in all he met.

Me: Yes. (prodding on)

Paulette:  He told her that things in her marriage were so bad that she must confront her husband, separate from him, and tell him to live a good Catholic Life or else give her a divorce.  He chose divorce.  So now she was a single mom with all those children to feed, teaching French in a school.  Very little money.

Eventually she met a man from Czech Republic and he fell in love with her.  He wanted to marry.  But in the church that was not possible.  He told her that if she didn’t say yes, he was going back to Europe and she would never see him again.  As she said, what man wants to marry a woman with so many children.

So she agreed to marry him, but she knew that the church would not allow her to receive the Lord in the eucharist.  She understood.  She went to mass every Sunday and holy day, but she did not receive.

Her Czech husband was atheist, but he supported her in her faith, never complained.

Some years passed, the oldest daughter finished high school, the first husband began taking his daughter to bars and nightclubs and she deserted her mother.

Meantime, her Czech husband gave her two more children and she continued teaching.

And then, the news came.  Her first husband had committed suicide.

For the children, that was terrible.  They despaired of seeing their father in heaven.

But for my teacher, it meant that she could have her marriage recognized in the church.

After a respectful period, my teacher petitioned the church to recognize her marriage.  Meanwhile, her Czech husband had become curious about the Catholic faith.  Father Joubert instructed him and he was baptised.

Sadly, the second husband developed cancer.  He died while his two girls were still in school, leaving the family alone once again.

Me: Yes. (prodding on)

Paulette: But he had the last rites.  And because the marriage had been recognized, my teacher had been able to arrange a funeral mass for him.

She continued teaching and she retired only this year, over 80 years old.

Me: There’s more. . .

Paulette: She has many grandchildren now, and great-grandchildren.  She has been a faithful attendant at mass all these years.  I asked her how she got through it all, and she told me, “Holy Mass.  And the psalms.”

Me:  Emoji for tears of joy.

Paulette: She is such a good, kind woman.

This is a story with a happy ending for me.  I spent many years applying to have my marriage recognized (in the Catholic Faith).  But, the process is delayed for 17 years to date.  🙁  Therefore, I share this story of hope – a happy ending like the French teacher’s life story gives me hope.

A word to my readers who have mental illness – I hope this story (and stories I will continue to share on my blogs) will have a good effect on you, in your way.

3 Comments

  1. Red Sanchez

    Without hope, we would never dare to dream and to think about the possibilities of the future as if they would be real. Hope lets us paint a bright image of the future that motivates us to seek success and achievement despite all odds. Hope is more powerful that we imagine because it is as permanent as life itself. Where there is life, there is hope.

    Reply
    • Veronica Kung

      Very nicely put, Red! That is really deep.

      Reply
    • Veronica Kung

      Feel free to email me at the other address! How are you?

      Reply

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