Tears and Laughter

 Mike and I have been out of town for a few days. We made a quick trip to Great Falls, MT for a funeral for Mike's Uncle Harold. This was not a pleasure trip, obviously. We kept talking about Uncle Harold and how weird it was going to be to not be able to see him whenever we go to Great Falls. We were sad, but this trip still had many moments of joy.

As is true with many funerals, they sort of evolve into family reunions. Uncle Harold was all about family and friends. Mike and I both thought he would have really enjoyed his funeral! He would have known everyone there, and there were a lot of people there! 

We saw so many people, friends we have not seen in years, relatives who live all too far away.  I wished we could all have spent more time together but we really only had one day there. It wasn't enough.

Sometimes I wish things were like the old days. By old days I mean days older than me. Days I never really experienced. I kind of wish for the days where families lived nearby for a lifetime And you knew your friends through all their days. I glamorize how it could be, all of us laughing and living in peace. Of course, both sides of the family would mesh together with ease.  Doesn't that sound like heaven?. Well, I suppose it is. It isn't real life, but I like the idea. Maybe that is what heaven is like.

Ok, enough of that.

I want to show you a couple of things from our trip.  First, want to see some mermaids? 

They have shown up at that hotel bar for decades. They look really young!. Yes, those are real. Ok, maybe not real mermaids, but real people. Those two ladies gently swam around for hours. That is not something you see everyday.

We drove home the next day.  I like road trips with Mike. He can be pretty funny, but don't tell him I said so.  

The view was pretty nice most of the way.

So pretty! 

It was a fairly long drive with a lots of wind. This is what Billings looked like.

That is not fog, just dirt.

We almost had an eagle in our laps yesterday. Really. I was crocheting and looking downward but Mike, thankfully, was on top of his game.  I looked up when I heard him say, "Don't do it! " All I saw was the vision of the eagle, wings spread, filling up the whole view out our windshield!. He was really, really big. What Mike had seen was the eagle diving down toward the side of the road, going up, then repeating the dive. He had an eagle eye spotting something below, but ignoring the car about to intersect his dive.  Mike slammed on the brakes and saved the day! Well, he saved the eagle. He saved our windshield. He saved us from having a giant bird in our laps. He did no favors for whatever that eagle was hunting.

While we were out of town, Maria, Eric and girls stayed at our house with our dog. Last time he stayed at their house he freaked out and took bites out of their stairs! 

Anyway, we had some surprises when we got home.

I opened the fridge and saw these notes. 

Funny, huh? 

Then, there was the toilet.

Sweetly, we also had a pretty picture...

So, that was a whole lot of rambling to tell you of both tears and laughter... of life.

We'll miss you, Uncle Harold. 

Blessings

"Blessings"
by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

This song really touched me today.  Please click here to listen to Laura Story sing it.   I found Laura Story's website here.    

Genetic Laughter Seizure Syndrome

We have a serious disorder that runs in our family.  I simply can't conceal it any longer.  I am thinking of organizing some kind of fundraiser or applying for a grant to support research as little is known about this disorder.  Maybe our daughter-in-law, Sara, will head up the research.  Of course, I will have to ask her to stop her present research looking for genes associated with liver cancer and such.  I'm sure she won't mind as she realizes the severity of our condition.

You see, there is little known of this syndrome that runs in our family.  It seems to affect the females more than the males.  I am guessing it is caused by some as yet unknown mutation.  Perhaps it began with my mother as she is the first one I've known to suffer extensively from this.

She passed it on to me.  

I passed it on to Maria.

I am sorry to report that Cordelia even shows early signs of it.

This dreadful Genetic Laughter Syndrome causes out-of-control attacks of laughter.  You might even say we have laughter seizures.  These attacks often begin with little or no warning.  We don't usually even get an aura as some do before a migraine attack.  We might even be in a formal or serious situation when it occurs.  It can be completely distressing and socially unacceptable.

Occasionally we cause quite a scene as people around us may think we are sobbing.

Physically these attacks can be gravely dangerous.  It becomes difficult to breathe!  Drooling is a serious risk.  Because of that risk, it is advisable to cover our mouths with our hands.

As people begin to stare it seems to increase the intensity of the seizure.    

Even as the laughter seizure begins to resolve, there is an extended period of recovery before we reach full functionality again.   Often there are tears to be wiped.

It takes time to regain composure.  A period of total and complete exhaustion sets in.  It really is utterly dreadful but we do not seek your pity, only your understanding.

Please watch for future fundraising events to help find the cure for this Genetic Laughter Seizure Syndrome (GLSS).  We simply must seek the cause so that a cure can be found.  If you are interested in organizing your own events on our behalf, such as a walk-a-thon or a bake sale, please contact me.  I thank you in advance for your care and concern.

Hospice Musings

I think I am getting more wise just by working at hospice.  Ok, that may not be true but I do think it helps to build a more realistic perception of life.  The truth is, we are all terminal.  That shouldn't be bad news, though. 

I think of our lives as being on a timeline.  On the left end of the timeline is a little teeny dot that represents our lives from conception to death.  To the right of that dot, as far as you can see, is our life in eternity.  That means that the time we are separated from our loved ones is such a tiny speck, it is almost no time at all.

For the patients who are not believers of eternal life, I understand how death could be a frightening prospect.  For Christians, though, it should be thought of as a a time when we get to open the best present ever.  We're human, though, and the unknown can be scary.  I understand that. 

I've already received a lot of comments from people who are very curious about how I can work daily with people who are dying.  I will tell you that it is an honor and a pleasure to do this work!  I feel very grateful for this opportunity and wish everyone had this chance. 

Working with the patients is not the hardest part of the job.  The part that is hard is working with the families.  They are the ones for whom I have the most sympathy.  Their pain is what I don't know how to treat.  Their tears are the hardest to see.

I try to remember to wear a cross to work every shift.  The reason I do this is so that the person who is dying, or their family and friends, will know that I am a Christian.  If they want to talk about Jesus, I want them to know that I will make time to listen.   Perhaps that is the most important part of my job...listening.


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