“Right now, just imagine that all people in the universe who love you are standing and cheering for you this day.” With that thought Mary Morrisey touched a responsive chord in my heart last week.
Take a moment and envision that: folks from all walks of life, all relationships, past and present, all ages of people whose lives you’ve touched–wherever they are, whatever their circumstances, imagine them standing, smiling at you, waving and cheering!
During the last three months I’ve watched you stand and cheer for Steve and Pat Sardeson as they received and dealt with the sudden and shocking news that Steve would quickly leave this life. You who knew them stood and cheered for them as he made final preparations, had final visits, ate those last bowls of ice cream, wrote his last blogs, emails, and facebook entries, and then, when he could keyboard no more, he read what you wrote, and when he could no longer read, listened as family members read to him your notes of love and appreciation.
Now, he is gone from this life, and we still stand and cheer just as a crowd does when the winning team runs off the field and out of sight into the tunnel. Steve has passed through the tunnel to the other side. And we still cheer. And, Pat, we still stand and cheer for you and the family. That’s as it should be. May God richly bless you! –Dale
Alexander Graham Bell is said to have commented, “I love to talk with children. They look at the world with fresh eyes.” The following selection certainly demonstrates that they do. They not only have “fresh eyes,” they combine acute interest in what is going on around them with their limited experience and understanding–with the result being some definitely interesting observations!
I don’t know who compiled this group of answers by children regarding mothers, but I’m sure glad they recorded them for us. Enjoy!
WHY GOD MADE MOMS Answers by 2nd grade children to the following questions about mothers:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
How did God make mothers? Read more »
By Dale Smith (GrandpaDale) © 2008 Philip Dale Smith
First, what’s a “paradigm shift?”
That’s a fancy way of saying, “a change in how you look at things.” When I was a preschooler, I needed one. Probably several.
The first paradigm shift I recall came when I was about five years old. As I got ready for bed, a storm hit. A strong gust slammed the old house. It shivered, creaked, and moaned. The thin linoleum floor covering lifted and dropped in keeping with the surges that swept under the house and up through floor cracks.
The first rattle of rain hit the tin roof followed the staccato tattoo of the downpour. No insulation muffled the sound. Soon it was a roar. Thunder cracked and lightning flashes through the windowpanes far outdid the dim yellow light of the “coal oil” lamp that Mother would soon take from the room.
I was afraid. Read more »
