Understanding

Yesterday a friend wrote that someone she knows is very close to death. Trying to encourage her, I shared something that happened in the 1980's when my brother had had a serious car accident. He lay in a hospital bed in Florida, with a spider fracture in his skull. The doctors didn't know which way it would go, but it didn't sound good.  My parents were grieving...and as I drove to their home, I found myself saying aloud, "Lord, my brother is dying."  Immediately I heard a still, small voice which said, "Grieve not what needs not to be grieved at this time."  And, I suddenly felt the peace of knowing that as long as there was breath, there was life. By the time my parents arrived from NY, Tom was sitting up in bed and recognized them, and though he couldn't yet speak, he was on his way to a full recovery!

Yesterday afternoon I understood the grief that my friend was feeling, as I received news that an email friend of mine is on his last journey toward Heaven. He's an old gentleman that I 'met' as we shared information of our ancestors who lived and worked in the same place at the same time.  Jimmy has been fighting for years...two bouts of cancer in which he was victor, and then kidney problems which put him on dialysis. Now, he's in a deep sleep and he's going Home.  But Jimmy's faith has carried him through his life and it will lead him on. He's a strong man, with a wonderful sense of humor and  he's been a terrific encouragement to me. I  will miss him much. Right now I feel that grief that my friend spoke of yesterday, and I feel somewhat as if I might not have recognized her emotions enough when I tried to encourage her with my words about my brother.  Today I will contact her  and apologize for that.

As I write about these friends, I realize how blessed I am to have them and all the other people I know and love.  Each of them has brought something special into my life, just by their being there.  Some have brought laughter, some lessons and examples, some wisdom and encouragement, but whatever they have offered, it's all been a gift of their love.   I've been truly blessed to have them.

Drama

Why is it that some people think it's ok to do whatever they please, regardless of how it affects other people?  Why do they feel they have a right to enter you private life and make it their business to broadcast all manner of tales, whether true or untrue? Do they really think that it makes them important or attractive to the eyes and ears that are exposed to these people and their words?

I was brought up to behave in a completely different way. My parents taught me to respect  other people, to mind my own business, and to be careful not to s.peak in ways that would hurt the feelings of others.  They taught me to be kind, to be forgiving, to see the good in people.  I can't say that I have always heeded my upbringing, but I've learned that it's best to live just the way my parents taught me.

You may be wondering what brought this on.  Let me say just this, recently some very gullible people followed  a ring-leader in an attack of wicked lies, hurtful words and actions against someone I'm close to.  There was no cause for their behavior, but they got their desired results by hurting my friend and her family.  They have also gotten some results that they may not have thought about. They are being looked upon now in a very unbecoming light, which will affect their own lives as far as friendships are concerned.  I guess it's true. If you want to be respected, act respectful.

I hurt for my friend's family, and I'm also proud of them for not striking back. They are better than that. They are sweet people who believe that people are basically good. This time they chose the wrong ones to befriend.  I am a strong believe that 'this too shall pass' and they will move on, but it may be that their faith in people will be sorely affected by this.  They are hurt now, but they will heal in time.

As for the hurtful ones? No one  needs to  retaliate against their evil railings.  They are painting their own life's works...and I believe they will receive every ounce of payment for their behaviors.  There seems to be always someone who is bigger, someone who is  a greater bully, and no doubt, they will run into that one sooner or later. Already they've lost some others that they called 'friends'.   Do not be fooled...there is great truth in 'You reap what you sow.'  I think that these people will find it out in due time.

Meanwhile, it solidifies for me that I must practice what I was taught as I was growing up. That  is the right way to live.

Ode to Erinne

Today's offering is an oldie....written in 1975, when my daughter was four years old. She's just a few weeks ago had her 40th birthday. I get a kick out of reading this because it's a quick rhyming story of something that truly happened. I hope you find a chuckle in it. Here goes:

One sunny day my little girl, whose age is a ripe, old three,
Went out to play and she climbed up in the great big old oak tree.
She sat in a fork, and she sat some more until I heard her call to me,
"Mommy, Mommy please come quick, 'cuz I'm stuck up in the old oak tree."

I pushed and I shoved, and I yanked and I pulled but I couldn't pull her free.
I had visions of the neighbor man's saw cutting down the old oak tree~
So, I prayed and I begged and I pleaded and I coaxed but I still couldn't set her free.
I had more visions of my little girl staying there eternally!

I prayed some more and I yanked some more and she came out with a 'slurp' finally,
Then I went inside to fix myself a strong cup of camomile tea.
I left her outside to play for a bit while I took care of me
And five minutes later I heard her call, "Come quick I'm stuck up in the old oak tree!"

In the Still of the Night

She walked across the bedroom to the back window to adjust the blinds. She fingered the rod that should have closed the louvers but they didn't respond to the action. She ran her hand from top to bottom of the shutters, hoping to darken the room. When she'd done all she could, she returned to the wall switch, turned the ceiling fan on and the light off.
Despite her attempt to shut out the full moon light, it managed to slip in and it lay on the bed in shadowy patterns. She turned her back to the window and attempted to find some rest from the busy day.  The night was against her and it took her a good, long time to finally fall asleep. Her husband found his way to lie beside her an hour or so later.
The air was stifling, regardless of the slight breeze offered by what the woman called 'the plane propeller' on the ceiling. She hated that thing but had to admit that it was better to have the fan at work than not to.  At four in the morning she woke to see her husband putting on his clean Tshirt and a pair of shorts. She asked him  where he was going in the middle of the night. He answered that he was going to the front porch for  a smoke. He couldn't sleep, and she hadn't slept well either.  A moment later, she  wandered to the porch and took a seat in the rocking chair next to her husband.

There they sat for some time, in the lights that glared from the neighbors garage wall across the street.  They rocked quietly, each in a semi-sleep, listening to the multi-layered chorus of the insects. She remarked that she could hear at least five different bug songs, their pitch being slightly higher or lower than the others.  The old man couldn't differentiate between the notes that each individual bug put forth. Viet Nam, and later machinery, had caused his hearing to deteriorate some.  She felt badly for him, that he couldn't enjoy the sounds as she was doing.

Six miles in the distance there was a hum of the Interstate. Normally they couldn't hear it, but that morning, in the otherwise stillness, she could sort the sound of the light traffic from the singing insects and the neighbors air conditioner.  She sat there, with her eyes closed, until she felt  sleep was closing in on her. She pulled herself to her feet as the first neighborhood vehicle fired up it's diesel engine, ready to start the day.  She told her lifetime mate that she was returning to bed.

He put out his cigarette and stood up, ready to follow.  He opened the door, and together they went to the bed they'd shared for so long. He brushed her lips with his kiss, she slid her hand beneath his larger one, and felt the ring she'd put on his finger such a long time ago. Together they found sleep in the comfort of knowing each was there.

Fried...

I'm just tuckered out, and my brain feels fried.  I'm not going to complain about this heat, because everyone is suffering under the 'heat dome' right now...everyone except those in my husband's home state of Washington.  The west coasters seem to be fairly comfortable, but they're whining for some warm sunshine.

You can't please everybody where the weather is concerned. If there's one subject that everyone has an opinion on, it's the weather, no matter what it is where they are located.

Anyway...I really can't think. I just kind of wonder through what I need to do...today it was to take Mom to the 'bone doctor.' She's got some arthritis in her knees that doesn't hurt, but does cause some weakness when she's walking or trying to walk up the stairs.  Thankfully, we had a 9:30 appt, so even as we left the office at 11, it wasn't so awfully hot as it would get later in the day.  For some reason, I chose yesterday to deep clean Mom's kitchen...because it needed it, not because I necessarily felt up to it.  I found myself perspiring...which is something I rarely do, but I got the job done, and then had an hour nap in the afternoon.

Interesting life I'm leading these days, isn't it?  Like  I said, I feel like my brain couldn't pull up a clever thought with a long rope and a bucket!  I'm just plumb tuckered out from this intense heat and humidity. So...stand by...maybe tomorrow you'll get luckier!

Stay cool....

Compromising...

We rarely go to the movie theater. My husband doesn't care for the discomfort of such narrow seats. I feel the temperatures are either too cold or too warm, and the sound level  is far too harsh for my ears. So, it's a mutual decision that we don't go.

We used to rely on video rentals. Now it's dvds that we get from my son in law or movies that show on the TV in the comfort of our living room. We are able to pause them for a run to the necessary room or a snack from the kitchen. The seats and temperature are 'just right' and the volume can be adjusted. We're happy in our version of a 'home theater.'

We have never cared whether we see the movie when it's brand new, so the fact that we have to wait a bit doesn't cause us much concern. Sometimes though, we find that we've missed seeing something we'd looked forward to seeing, because we don't write a list.  If we did so, we could get the film from my son in law, who has a huge collection that grows routinely.

The basic problem with this arrangement is that we often disagree on the type of movie to watch, as is probably the case with most couples. I'm not fond of violence and war movies, unless it's a historical type of thing. He's not crazy about watching what he calls 'chick flicks' , but usually likes them in the end, especially if there's another story line woven through a love story, or a lot of comedy added.

As for me, my favorites are 'Cold Mountain', which I've seen many times over, 'Summersby' which is another Civil War era flick.  I also like 'Bridges of Madison County'  and 'The Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood.'  I always enjoy books by Nicholas Sparks and John Grisham when they are made into movies, even thought the films vary a bit from the books. We both enjoy watching anything with Julia Roberts, Shirley McLain, Sandra Bullock or James Garner. We also usually can agree on suspense and intrigue, so we watch what we agree on together, and find another time to watch our individual choices. 

The compromise works pretty well in this house! How about yours?
  

Pot o' Gold

Did you ever dream of finding a pot of gold? Maybe it was some other form of treasure...buried or otherwise.  I recently heard a true story of one who found one.

His occupation takes him crawling through roof rafters and under houses. He often finds himself shimmying around stuff that's been stored for years, in order to do his electrical work. He confessed with a chuckle that for many years he's been on the watch for something worth a lot of money, but never had found one.

Then, while working to update a 40 year old home, an empty house inherited by the owner's brothers, his  dream come true!  He had to move a suitcase from his path in the attic, and when he tried to do so, struggle as he might, he found it too heavy to move it.  Curious as to what might be inside, with some trepidation, he clicked the latch and lifted the lid. What did he find?
An incredible stash of rolled silver dollars and hundred dollar gold pieces! 

Now, because my friend is an extremely moral and Christian man, he would never have thought to remove even one coin from that satchel. What he did was to report his find to the three brothers when they arrived that afternoon. They didn't believe him until they went to the attic and looked at the find with their own eyes.  They'd known that their deceased brother was a thrifty man, but had no idea that he would have stashed such a fortune as that in his attic! Of course, they were thrilled. 

They made a comment to my friend that he must be a very honest man, because he 'could have put that money in the truck and driven away, and no one would have been the wiser.'  It would have never have crossed his mind to do such a thing, but the comment made my friend think about what sort of person might do that.  As he boarded his truck the next day, he noticed a folded bill sticking out of a compartment. It was a one hundred dollar bill, which he immediately deduced had come from the heirs. They were, he thought, rewarding him.

When he found the money in his truck, he was accompanied by his grandson. He held it up and showed it to the younger man. He asked, "Do you know what this is? It is those guys' money, and it's going right back to them.  You don't need to be rewarded for doing what is right."
I understand his point,and of course, he must follow his convictions, but I wonder if he's correct in that thinking. We should always do the right thing, and if we receive a reward, what is wrong with that if we're not looking for the reward? After all, we are in line for some punishment if we do the wrong thing, aren't we? Even God gives reward for doing the right things and gives the evil doers what they deserve. Isn't that what justice is about?

What are your thoughts about this?