The Pickle Jar
Author Unknown
The pickle jar, as far back as I can remember, sat beside the dresser in my parents' bedroom.
When he got ready for bed, Dad would empty his pockets and toss his coins into the jar. As
they were dropped into the jar, they landed with a merry jingle when the jar was almost empty.
Then, the tones gradually muted to a dull thud as the jar filled. I used to squat on the floor in
front of the jar and admire the copper and silver circles that glinted like a pirate's treasure
when the sun poured through the bedroom window. When the jar was filled, Dad would sit at
the kitchen table and roll the coins before taking them to the bank.
Taking the coins to the bank was always a big production. Stacked neatly in a small cardboard box, the coins were
placed between Dad and me on the seat of his old truck. Each and every time, as we drove to the bank, Dad would
look at me hopefully. "Those coins are going to keep you out of the textile mill, son. You're going to do better than
me. This old mill town's not going to hold you back." Also, each and every time, as he slid the box of rolled coins
across the counter at the bank toward the cashier, he would grin proudly and say, "These are for my son's college
fund. He'll never work at the mill all his life like me."
We would always celebrate each deposit by stopping for an ice cream cone. I always got chocolate; Dad always
got vanilla. When the clerk at the ice cream parlor handed Dad his change, he would show me the few coins
nestled in his palm. "When we get home, we'll start filling the jar again." He always let me drop the first coins into
the empty jar. As they rattled around with a brief, happy jingle, we grinned at each other. "You'll get to college on
pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters," he said. "But you'll get there. I'll see to that."
The years passed, and I finished college and took a job in another town. Once, while visiting my parents, I used
the phone in their bedroom, and noticed that the pickle jar was gone. It had served its purpose and had been
removed. A lump rose in my throat as I stared at the spot beside the dresser where the jar had always stood. My
Dad was a man of few words, and never lectured me on the values of determination, perseverance, and faith. The
pickle jar had taught me all these virtues far more eloquently than the most flowery of words could have done.
When I married, I told my wife Susan about the significant part the lowly pickle jar had played in my life as a boy.
In my mind, it defined, more than anything else, how much my Dad had loved me. No matter how rough things
got a home, Dad continued to doggedly drop his coins into the jar. Even the summer when Dad got laid off from
the mill, and Mama had to serve dried beans several times a week, not a single dime was taken from the jar. To
the contrary, as Dad looked across the table at me pouring catsup over my beans to make them more palatable,
he became more determined than ever to make a way out for me. "When you finish college, Son," he told me, his
eyes glistening, "you'll never have to eat beans again, unless you want to."
The first Christmas after our daughter Jessica was born, we spent the holiday with my parents. After dinner, Mom
and Dad sat next to each other on the sofa, taking turns cuddling their first grandchild. Jessica began to whimper
softly, and Susan took her from Dad's arms. "She probably needs to be changed," she said, carrying the baby into
my parents' bedroom to diaper her.
When Susan came back into the living room, there was a strange mist in her eyes. She handed Jessica back to Dad
before taking my hand and leading me into the room. "Look," she said softly, her eyes directing me to a spot on
the floor beside the dresser. To my amazement, there, as if it had never been removed, stood the old pickle jar,
the bottom already covered with coins. I walked over to the pickle jar, dug down into my pocket, and pulled out a
fistful of coins. With a gamut of emotions choking me, I dropped the coins into the jar.
Then I looked up and saw that Dad, carrying Jessica, had slipped quietly into the room. Our eyes locked, and I
knew he was feeling the same emotions I felt. Neither one of us could speak, but we knew nothing had to be said.
+Dear Parents,
November 16, 2014
I hope your children and you had a nice little break on Friday with their day off due to conferences. I want to
thank our teachers for all that they did to prepare for conferences and for all they do every day of the year!
It is my hope that all of you left with a good plan of how teachers, parents, and students all need to work together
for a truly successful year. It is hard to be good, responsible parents. It is hard to be good, responsible teachers.
How many times do we give in to our children? How easy is it to make excuses when our children don’t do well?
How less complicated it would be for teachers to lower expectations and perhaps avoid conflicts with parents,
students, and yes, even their peers? Will these things really help?
Our story of the pickle jar shows the sacrifices and commitment of the father. He passed those values onto his
son. Sacrifice and commitment are not just about money, however. It is about sacrificing the easy way out and
being committed to holding our children to his/her highest level of potential. It is about sacrificing our own ideas
at times and being open and receptive to another perspective. It is about being committed to making changes or
adjustments when necessary.
As the principal, I know that I have to listen to concerns about how I address things and to be open to the fact that
I might not be aware of all that is going on. After I have processed conversations, I try to learn from what was
shared and to make the necessary adjustments. It is not easy, yet I have to be committed to try. I don’t have a lot
of change to fill a pickle jar to provide for someone’s education, but I do have the commitment and desire that St.
Joseph School will be the best possible place for our students, for their families, for our teachers, and for our
parish. I fill infinite pickle jars with my prayers for all of you! I am confident that we will be the best possible
school for the Scriptures tell us, “With God, all things are possible.”
My prayer for all of us is that our pickle jars be filled with our prayers every day: our prayers of joy, of hope, for
patience, for acceptance of all of our efforts, and of thanksgiving!
Have a great week and God bless you!
Sister Catherine Irene, IHM
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Looking Ahead
November 15
Semi-Annual Tuition Final Payment was due today!
November 18
Hot Lunch Orders for November are due on this day
November 21
Home and School Thanksgiving Breakfast for Faculty and Staff in PMC;
November 23
Open House from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
November 25
Mission Day and Thanksgiving Prayer Service; Marks close for 1st Trimester
November 26
Faculty Meeting: NO SCHOOL for students;
Thanksgiving Vacation – No School on 11/26, 11/27 and 11/28! Enjoy your holiday!
November 27
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
November 30
First Sunday of Advent!
December 1
Classes Resume!
December 3 and 4
Santa’s Workshop: NO HOT LUNCH – Lunch in the Classrooms
PLEAE NOTE THE SLIGHT CHANGE OF DATES
December 5
School Liturgy, 10:15 a.m.
December 8
Feast of the Immaculate Conception: Holyday of Obligation, NO SCHOOL
December 10
Christmas Band Concerts, 1:30 and 7:00 p.m. in the Gym
December 11
School Confessions
December 14
Chorus Christmas Concert in Church, 7:00 p.m.
December 18
Kindergarten Pageant in Church at 10:00 a.m.
December 22
Christmas Pageant at 1:00 p.m. in Church: PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF DATE/TIME
December 23
Christmas Vacation begins with NOON DISMISSAL: Bus Transportation is provided!
HOT LUNCH ORDERS: Lunch menus and order forms are posted. All orders must be placed by this Tuesday,
November 18. Online ordering will only continue the 18th of the month. Please remember to send a copy of your
payment form into school with your orders. We have received many orders without a copy of the online
payment. We need two pages when you pay online: the order form itself and the copy of payment. I have
attached a sample of what needs to be returned to school when placing orders online. Thank you!
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Semi-Annual Tuition: Your final payment was due by November 15, if you paid semi-annually. If you did not
make this payment, please call Jo-Ann Funkhouser in the Parish Office, 610-269-8294 to make arrangements for
auto pay. Thank you!
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World Meeting of Families: As you know, the World Meeting of Families will take place in September 2015 in
Philadelphia. For all of the details, please visit the official website, http://www.worldmeeting2015.org/
Holy Hour for the Family, Mass, and Blessing and Distribution of Holy Family Icons:
To help families prepare for the World Meeting of Families, Archbishop Chaput will bless and distribute an image
of the Holy Family to every household in attendance at this special Mass on the First Sunday of Advent at 6:30
p.m. A Holy Hour for the Family at 5:30 p.m. will precede the Mass. All are welcome!
Location: Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia
Prayer for the World Meeting of Families
God and Father of us all,
in Jesus, your Son and our Savior,
you have made us your sons and daughters
in the family of the Church.
May your grace and love help our families
in every part of the world be united to one another
in fidelity to the Gospel.
May the example of the Holy Family,
with the aid of your Holy Spirit,
guide all families, especially those most troubled,
to be homes of communion and prayer
and to always seek your truth and live in your love.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us!
GET INTO THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING
at our Annual
MISSION DAY FAIR!
Tuesday, November 25th
St. Joseph students join together in a fun-filled day
that raises money for those in need!
Games and other activities are planned for the morning!
There are chances to win GREAT prizes for your class, such as
Dress-Down Day, Popcorn and a movie, Ice Cream Treat,
pizza lunch for the class, and more!!
Students may wear their gym uniforms to school on this day!
All activities cost $0.25 or $0.50!
The price of admission to the gym is a canned good or
peanut butter or jelly to be distributed to the
IHM Family Literacy Center in Coatesville.
Mission Day 2014 raised $1000 for charities including:
IHM Family Literacy
Camilla Hall (in honor of Sister Rita’s Jubilee)
Drexel Neumann Academy in Chester, PA
(in honor of Monsignor McLoone’s Jubilee)
Various charities as the need arose throughout the year