Wow....more change

Wow.  I am stunned by this mornings news about the Pope stepping down.  I understand that his health is the issue.  I just never knew you could step down as Pope.  I thought it was a job for life--no matter what.  What are you called after you step down, besides a few unmentionable things some people might hurl your direction?  Are you Previous Pope?  Former Pope?  Or just your given name, here after?

Where does a former Pope go to live?  Do you go back home to your home country, are you still a Cardinal, what, what, what??  And, besides God, who can you discuss this momentous decision with, prior to your announcement?  If your former aide betrayed you, who can you trust?  Sounds like a terribly lonely job to me.

How would you like your lineage to be connected to the first Pope in 600 years to abdicate?  With all due respect, I do not think the job would be even the slightest bit fun, but bailing on your spiritual duty, once you've been consecrated (or what ever the term is) makes me wonder what kind of extraordinary strength his decision must take.  Again, what a shockeroo.  I wish him all the best.

 On another note, on a visit to mom last week, I went by to talk with the lady who does mom's hair to ask her to cut mom's hair a little shorter.  We chatted and as I left, she followed me outside her little 2nd floor mini salon.  There were some other ladies present and she wanted to tell me something privately.  She told me that each time she see's mom, she thinks it's "the last time" she'll see her, and asked me if I was seeing the same changes.  I told her basically yes and no....and we both just shook our heads.  Sometimes we see only what we can handle.

Sorry for the bummer.  It's just where I am.