Sunday, September 30, 2012

I Hope It's Rest...

I wrote this awhile ago thinking...praying...I would never have to come back here again. Well, here I am. The first trip to this nightmare was with a young man named Gus. Now, once again, it’s the same nightmare, but with a new name. He was another one of my son's friends from high school...and we laid him to rest today. At least...I hope it’s rest. And I pray he’s at peace...finally. This young man who will never see this world through an old man’s eyes. This young man who will never find the love of his life. This young man who will never hear his child call him Daddy. This good young man who, unfortunately, made some very bad decisions. We laid him to rest today. A lifetime too soon. Children are supposed to bury their parents. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. We laid him to rest today. For all of you who have been to this dark place, I can only pray you find some comfort in the arms of the angels. At moments like this, I know that God himself is weeping with us. We laid him to rest today. At least...I hope it’s rest. And I pray he’s at peace...finally. Know that you were once very much loved Ben. We’ll miss you.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Halloween Wind

It’s a Halloween wind that blows tonight. Can you feel it? Warm and sweet, but with just the slightest touch of frost around the edges. It’s the kind of wind that gently rattles drying leaves on soon to be skeleton trees. It’s the kind of wind that lifts outbound geese in chevron flight and drives the clouds low across a fiery sunset sky. It’s a Halloween wind that blows tonight. It’s the kind of wind that makes the evening shadows dance and the critters nervous. It’s a wind that whispers that a change is coming. Get ready. It’s a wind that whirls the mist around a gnarly old oak as easily as it does a faded memory around a lonely heart. It’s a Halloween wind that blows tonight. Soon the witching season will be here and restless spirits will once again take flight under the ghostly cast of a harvest moon. It’s a Halloween wind that blows tonight. Can you feel it?

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Passing The Wallpaper Love Test

It's our anniversary. I guess we passed. From awhile ago----If you’re at all curious about the strength of your marriage, ask yourself this one simple question. Can you wallpaper together? I’m convinced this may be the truest test of true love. Especially, if you live in an older home. You know, before they invented straight walls and right angled corners. The first step in the Wallpaper Love Test is...can you agree on a pattern? Preliminary skirmishes may give you a good idea if The Wallpaper Wars are about to break out. If agreement can be reached, the actual hanging of the stuff...they picked a good word didn’t they...hanging...will bring out the best or the worst. Can you line up those itty bitty blue flowers...the pattern you thought you agreed on, but he secretly thinks is way too girly...without wishing medieval torture on each other’s families? Can you balance on the top of a ladder, holding a piece in place, while your wife takes a call from her Mother or your husband checks on the score of the game without your complete, unabridged collection of profanity escaping from your clenched lips? Well...can you? If you can wallpaper together, there is not much that can put your marriage asunder. However, if you can’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean your marriage is in trouble. It just means that, for the sake of the kids of course, paint is a much healthier decorating choice.