As I walked out of our room the other morning I took note of a strange object on the floor. "Hum, do the dogs have a new toy?" I picked it up, then put on my glasses (it's best advised to put on the glasses first) to find my watch, without it's band, in my hand. The watch face was just fine, no scratches or bite marks, and the clasp was a few feet away. But, where was the band itself? "In my tummy, Mom," woofed Tahoe, our way-to-big-overweight-2 year old Black Lab. Ah, I see, it really was leather from China after all! OK, well that just meant I cut back on his morning chow seeing as how he already ingested so many calories. I thanked him profusely for not wrecking the watch itself. For the next several days I kept the watch, all by its lonesome, in my pocket until today when I finally got to a store to replace the band. Instead of putting a new band on the old watch I picked up a new cheap watch for $12.00. Who knows how long it'll last, but at least my left wrist is no longer naked. My new watch says it's 4pm, my computer says it's 5pm (ok, this creeps me out -- who already changed my laptop to Daylight Savings Time?), and my soul says it's time to take note of significant events the past few days.
In Utah state politics we became not only the first state to have an official "State Gun", but now we're the first state with a law excluding text messages, emails, tweets, and any e-communication between lawmakers from the Federal Freedom of Information Act. Yes, nothing like Wisconsin will ever happen here because now we'll never know what our newly un-ethical(yes, they disbanded the new Ethics law, too) lawmakers are saying to each other in communications that most people consider completely normal and acceptable now. Of course, that'll make it easier to enforce the our new Arizona-style immigration law, too, because they can say whatever they want about anyone, target anyone, etc., without the public ever knowing.
The earthquake and tsunami in Japan prompted this question from a good, older friend of mine in our grief support group this morning; "Sher, why do you think God let this happen?" We talked about how a loving God certainly doesn't inflict pain and misery, but that is often the condition of our world. There's no explaining why one part of the world suffers so terribly and another part doesn't. Such suffering, though, gives those of us who claim the label of 'human' ample opportunities to give ourselves, our money, or prayers on the behalf of those suffering so terribly. It's time for us to step up to the plate again.
When I called my Mom's new doctor this week to discuss an issue with him I was very unprepared to hear, "Her release doesn't include you. We can't talk to you." So, the lifelong era of trying to support, trying to help, trying to ease her way came to an abrupt end. Those are difficult words to hear without any warning whatsoever. I know all about HIPPA, right to privacy, etc., but I didn't expect my own family to make this choice. The time came, though, for unknown reasons, for her to make this choice for herself.
All of these unexpected, inexplicable events and times prompt me to remember the last thing my Dad ever said to me in a private conversation. Looking off into the morning light in the vineyard he said, "You just have to keep going. You just have to keep going." Indeed. Indeed.
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