Some Monday Thoughts

When dad said it was time for Bullet to go home tonight, Bullet leapt off the couch, stretched, and turned toward home. Dad walked Bullet home, put him on the porch, and walked back to the house. Before he could get back into the house through the back door, however, Bullet had returned through the garage. Evidently, Bullet didn’t want to stay home tonight. He just wanted to go for a walk.

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Last Thursday was my brother’s birthday. I was going to write my Thursday note in honor of him and some of the most important things he’s taught me, but I was so tired after last week’s on call that I could barely think. So here are the basics that you need to know:

• Plays in backyard football and basketball are easily made and explained through x’s, o’s, and arrows in the palms of sweaty hands.

• If you have a choice between doing something memorable and life-enriching and studying or working all night, then do the something memorable and life-enriching. Ten years from now, you likely won’t remember the night of studying or working, but you will remember the event. Disclaimer: This doesn’t mean not to study or work at all. Study some. Do whatever work you need to do. But set a limit and live.

• Going to see musicals and plays can be somewhat expensive, yes. But if it’s something you value, then do what you can to make it happen. We all spend money on what we value, and there are much worse things than plays and musicals.

• Most songs can be played with three chords on the guitar. G, C, D. Em is a good one to know, too.

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I have very little patience with or grace for persons who intentionally and unapologetically take advantage of senior citizens and children--but specifically on my mind today is senior citizens. Companies and businesses that send confusing mail to persons with dementia or make persistent phone calls to persons who are lonely are bad enough, but friends and family members who overstep their bounds do nothing less than disgust me. Good intentions gone wrong are one thing. Investments fail and monetary mistakes happen. Inappropriate behavior apologized for and steps taken toward redemption can be forgiven somewhat easily. Humility goes a long way. But unabashed credit card use in a parent’s name. Repetitive requests for loans. Valuables disappearing after family visits. Gifts taken but rarely given. I cannot fathom the thoughts that motivate these actions. I guess it’s the brokenness of the human condition—the deep-rooted, life-sucking weed of sin that separates us from the mark of honest, selfless love.

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I got to see a few out of town friends this weekend. In the process, I met three newborn babies, fed one of them, heard one amazing valedictorian speech, learned to pop popcorn, saw Despicable Me, visited brother bears and baby koala at the zoo, had lovely conversations, and walked away with these words of encouragement:

“I admire how you’ve handled life over the past few months and grown from all that’s happened. It seems like your heart could be so heavy—and I know it is heavy sometimes—but you’ve kept going. And you’ve been become a stronger person. And I really admire that. You’re one of my favorite people, [Deanna]. I hope you know that.”

I am so grateful.