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WITandWISDOM(tm) - April 18, 2001 ~~~~~~~ THOUGHTS: "It's not what you are that holds you back, it's what you think you are not." - Denis Waitley Source: Quotes From The Masters http://MailRoom.DailyInbox.com/ ~~~~~~~ SPECIAL THOUGHTS: MOM'S LAST LAUGH By Robin Lee Shope (c) 1999 Consumed by my loss, I didn't notice the hardness of the pew where I sat. I was at the funeral of my dearest friend - my mother. She finally had lost her long battle with cancer. The hurt was so intense, I found it hard to breathe at times. Always supportive, Mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held a box of tissues while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me at my father's death, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life. When Mother's illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell to me, the 27-year-old middle child without entanglements, to take care of her. I counted it an honor. "What now, Lord?" I asked sitting in church. My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss. My brother sat stoically with his face toward the cross while clutching his wife's hand. My sister sat slumped against her husband's shoulder, his arms around her as she cradled their child. All so deeply grieving, no one noticed I sat alone. My place had been with our mother, preparing her meals, helping her walk, taking her to the doctor, seeing to her medication, reading the Bible together. Now she was with the Lord. My work was finished, and I was alone. Providential mistake I heard a door open and slam shut at the back of the church. Quick footsteps hurried along the carpeted floor. An exasperated young man looked around briefly and then sat next to me. He folded his hands and placed them on his lap. His eyes were brimming with tears. He began to sniffle. "I'm late," he explained, though no explanation was necessary. After several eulogies, he leaned over and commented, "Why do they keep calling Mary by the name of ‘Margaret'?" "Because that was her name, Margaret. Never Mary. No one called her ‘Mary,'" I whispered. I wondered why this person couldn't have sat on the other side of the church. He interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting. Who was this stranger anyway? "No, that isn't correct," he insisted, as several people glanced over at us whispering, "Her name is Mary, Mary Peters." "That isn't who this is." "Isn't this the Lutheran church?" "No, the Lutheran church is across the street." "Oh." "I believe you're at the wrong funeral, sir." The solemnness of the occasion mixed with the realization of the man's mistake bubbled up inside me and came out as laughter. I cupped my hands over my face, hoping it would be interpreted as sobs. The creaking pew gave me away. Sharp looks from other mourners only made the situation seem more hilarious. I peeked at the bewildered, misguided man seated beside me. He was laughing, too, as he glanced around, deciding it was too late for an uneventful exit. I imagined Mother laughing. At the final "Amen," we darted out a door and into the parking lot. "I do believe we'll be the talk of the town," he smiled. He said his name was Rick and since he had missed his aunt's funeral, asked me out for a cup of coffee. That afternoon began a lifelong journey for me with this man who attended the wrong funeral, but was in the right place. A year after our meeting, we were married at a country church where he was the assistant pastor. This time we both arrived at the same church, right on time. In my time of sorrow, God gave me laughter. In place of loneliness, God gave me love. This past June we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary. Whenever anyone asks us how we met, Rick tells them, "Her mother and my Aunt Mary introduced us, and it's truly a match made in heaven." Copyright (c) 1999 by Robin Lee Shope, 4401 Blue Stem St., Flower Mound, TX 75028 Submitted by Cheri Thomas ~~~~~~~ THIS & THAT: New words for an old song - the Sound of Music . . . A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS Author Unknown Maalox and nosedrops and needles for knittin', Walkers and handrails and new dental fittin's, Bundles of magazines tied up with string, These are a few of my favorite things. Cadillacs, cataracts, hearing aids, bloating gases, Polident, Fixodent, false teeth in glasses, Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings, These are a few of my favorite things. When the pipes leak, When the bones creak, When the knees go bad, Then I remember my favorite things And then I don't feel so bad Hot tea and crumpets, and corn pads for bunions, No spicy hot food and no food with onions, Bathrobes and heat pads and hot meals they bring, These are a few of my favorite things. Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin', Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin'. And we won't mention our short shrunken frames When we remember our favorite things. When the joints ache, When the hips break, When the eyes grow dim, Then I remember the great life I've had, And then I don't feel so bad. Submitted by Sharon Hamel ~~~~~~~ KEEP SMILING: One Sunday morning when my son, David, was about 5, we were attending a church in our community. It was common for the preacher to invite the children to the front of the church and have a small lesson before beginning the sermon. He would bring in an item they could find around the house and relate it to a teaching from the bible. This particular morning, the visual aid for his lesson was a smoke detector. He asked the children if anyone new what it meant when an alarm sounded from the smoke detector. My child immediately raised his hand and said "It means Daddy's cooking dinner." - By Susan Source: Just for Grins www.coolnewsletters.com ~~~~~~~ TRIVIA: THE SUN & EARTH . . . The Analemma - Ever notice the odd-looking figure eight which appears on many globes? It's called an analemma. See the analemma for . . . (Visit the URL below) Make a Sundial! - Use shadows to tell time! A web site generates sundials for a user-specified location. Another web site shows several types of sundials which are available in a variety of file formats. Or you can make a customized horizontal sundial similar to the "Sandburg Sundial . . . (Visit the URL below) Safe Sun Exposure - An easy way to tell how much ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure you are getting is to . . . The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) produces a daily UV Index map at . . . (Visit the URL below) This IS "the URL below." :o) http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/sundials/shadows.html Sou rce: Website of the Week (WoW!) www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/wow.html |