UPDATE JULY 13, 2013 At the start of this journey, I packed my old kit-bag with an arsenal of things that I thought I would need. A limitless supply of Love was stockpiled as were ample supplies of Courage, Patience, and Faith. And, like any sentimental traveler yearning for a remembrance of where they came from, I also stowed away Humor in heavy measure. As we near the end of the road, I have found myself reaching for the Humor more and more often to cope with the Fear, Sorrow and Grief that unavoidably found their way into the provisions. My outlook over what passes for a tragedy has been utterly transformed in these seven months so that I can find easy humor in my observations of the world around me and particularly my personal blunders which, when compared to the spirit of this journey, are minor inconveniences and trivial imperfections not worth fretting about. Life, no matter what the circumstances, does not cease to be funny and I have relied on my own personal stash of Humor to get through troubling times but as strange as it might seem - in the final stretch - my greatest joy and my most sincere laughter have come from listening to Jim. Although he is in a dreamy twilight unable to communicate beyond a single word whisper or a nod, his vivid dream state is the only place that he is able to speak with purpose, albeit, only to the people with whom he visits in his Happy Place. These are actual pronouncements uttered by Jim while he’s been sleeping: • “Come over here and lie down, I wanna throw mashed potatoes on ya.” • “I’m morally against it and frankly, I’m tired of talking about it.” • “Thanks for the wrestle; sorry I had to kick your ass.” • “In the evening when I get home from school, I’m gonna fill a cup with green beans and popcorn.” • “If you haven’t learned to fish by the time you’re 10, you’re not a fisherman…DON’T FISH.” • “Hey Denny, how about givin’ this a smell.” • “We’re having a holiday extravaganza for Passover with biblical characters - or cartoon characters - it doesn’t matter.” I am certain that there is a divine reason for Jim’s spontaneous, tension-breaking monologues. Without them, the sorrowful weight on the shoulders of those that sit by his bedside day after day would simply be too much to bear. We are lifted up and comforted knowing that Jim is at peace, dreaming of happier times in happier places and throwing mashed potatoes. ~ Kelly Linn
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 03:18:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015