I started a project today that I have put off for two years and ten months. I've been going through Jason's "stuff." His wonderful friends in Nebraska packed up his things, and we stored them in a spare bedroom. We've gotten a few things out of there, but for the most part everything has remained the same as when we first placed it in there. Now comes the question, What do I do with all of this "stuff"?
I pulled out ballcaps and have been washing them in the dishwasher today. I condensed all of the shirts and jackets in one bin and all of the jeans in another. I pulled out all underwear, socks, sweats, etc. and will decide later what to do with them. I condensed all leather stuff, chaps, bridles, boots into one bin. I pulled out all OSU t-shirts. I already know what I'm doing with those. I'm making myself a quilt or throw out of those. I will take my time, quilt around all of the designs, and maybe use some of the jeans to make dividers. Even if it takes me months to finish, it will be a labor of love. It will be the kind of quilt that I will be able to put on the floor and let babies crawl on or take to a ballgame to sit on or place over your legs.
I've never been one to make a shrine to someone I've lost, but I think it's time to make a place for Jason's most valuable treasures. The belt buckles, spurs, and a couple of plaques and pictures are going to go into my China cabinet. I have a cowboy hat that I will probably have steamed and cleaned to put there. I have to be careful. I don't want to make everyone sad when they walk into my house, but I have to honor him. It's not like his memory ever leaves our minds.
I'm open to suggestions.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Education Funding
I went to my very first protest today in Oklahoma City. We met outside the Cox Center to try to draw attention to the bleak future of public education in Oklahoma.
Let me just state some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind and reveal some of the arguments I heard today against the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Oklahoma.
Dr. Baressi is a dentist who thinks she has the answers that will fix the problem in public education in Oklahoma. At this point all we have heard from her office since she began her term is how much reform is needed to fix education. I talked to two friends who are administrators in a different school district. Both of them said that they can't get information from the State Department. Everything seems to be shrouded in secrecy. Is it secrecy, or is it possible that nobody really knows what needs to be done? Is it possible that now that her people have found out the parameters that they must work under, they realize that they don't really have a plan?
We all know that there are some changes that need to be made, but our current state administration seems to believe that we should be able to do more with less, so they release mandates and cut programs that help schools meet the mandates.
One of the decisions Dr. Baressi has made is to cut out the National Board bonus that the state promised to pay. I know that she (like all politicians) will say that cuts have to be made, but why NBCT? The state agreed to pay $5000 per year to any teacher who successfully went through the National Certification process. This certification is over and above the required Oklahoma certification requirements. I spent one year examining my teaching practices and evaluating everything I do in my classroom to see if it measures up to the best practices in education. I videotaped my lessons, prepared a portfolio, and took subject matter examinations to prove that I was worthy to wear the NBCT label. I did my part. A couple of weeks ago we learned that the remaining bonuses will not be paid. I'm at the end of my ten year certification, so it will not impact me as much as some of the people who have been recently certified. My heart breaks for them. Some of them will not find out until November if they achieved certification, but instead of getting a $5000 bonus in January, they will get a certificate to hang on the wall. Not the same, is it?
I listened to various stories today that I will now share.
Some teachers decided to pursue National Board instead of getting a master's because it would be more financially profitable. Now, time has passed, and they do not have a master's, and they get nothing for being NBCT.
One teacher said that it has taken eleven years for her to get to the regular teacher salary that she made in Georgia eleven years ago. That was her reason for going after National Board. She wanted to get closer to her previous salary.
The state of Oklahoma spends almost four times each year to incarcerate a prisoner than it does to educate a child.
Dr. Baressi stated that she hoped the local district would honor the $5000 bonus. I did not make an agreement with my local district. They only way the local district can do that is to cut other areas. In our district the number of NBCTs are about the equivalent of two beginning teacher salaries. If we use that money, every teacher and student in our district will suffer with larger class sizes. I do not know one teacher who is willing to do that to our district.
According to one teacher today, the schools have been told that they can use money earmarked for textbooks to pay the bonuses. Really? We're going to continue to use old textbooks...that's not too big a problem in my area. Literature doesn't change, but let a science or history teacher use a textbook for fourteen years instead of the usual seven years, and students will be shortchanged.
Next to my faith, my conviction in free public education is a cornerstone of my belief system. I believe that every American student should be provided with opportunity. Opportunity is provided through education. Quality education costs money.
I left Oklahoma City today feeling very frustrated, but I've decided that I will continue to be vocal. This was just step one.
Let me just state some of the thoughts that have been going through my mind and reveal some of the arguments I heard today against the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Oklahoma.
Dr. Baressi is a dentist who thinks she has the answers that will fix the problem in public education in Oklahoma. At this point all we have heard from her office since she began her term is how much reform is needed to fix education. I talked to two friends who are administrators in a different school district. Both of them said that they can't get information from the State Department. Everything seems to be shrouded in secrecy. Is it secrecy, or is it possible that nobody really knows what needs to be done? Is it possible that now that her people have found out the parameters that they must work under, they realize that they don't really have a plan?
We all know that there are some changes that need to be made, but our current state administration seems to believe that we should be able to do more with less, so they release mandates and cut programs that help schools meet the mandates.
One of the decisions Dr. Baressi has made is to cut out the National Board bonus that the state promised to pay. I know that she (like all politicians) will say that cuts have to be made, but why NBCT? The state agreed to pay $5000 per year to any teacher who successfully went through the National Certification process. This certification is over and above the required Oklahoma certification requirements. I spent one year examining my teaching practices and evaluating everything I do in my classroom to see if it measures up to the best practices in education. I videotaped my lessons, prepared a portfolio, and took subject matter examinations to prove that I was worthy to wear the NBCT label. I did my part. A couple of weeks ago we learned that the remaining bonuses will not be paid. I'm at the end of my ten year certification, so it will not impact me as much as some of the people who have been recently certified. My heart breaks for them. Some of them will not find out until November if they achieved certification, but instead of getting a $5000 bonus in January, they will get a certificate to hang on the wall. Not the same, is it?
I listened to various stories today that I will now share.
Some teachers decided to pursue National Board instead of getting a master's because it would be more financially profitable. Now, time has passed, and they do not have a master's, and they get nothing for being NBCT.
One teacher said that it has taken eleven years for her to get to the regular teacher salary that she made in Georgia eleven years ago. That was her reason for going after National Board. She wanted to get closer to her previous salary.
The state of Oklahoma spends almost four times each year to incarcerate a prisoner than it does to educate a child.
Dr. Baressi stated that she hoped the local district would honor the $5000 bonus. I did not make an agreement with my local district. They only way the local district can do that is to cut other areas. In our district the number of NBCTs are about the equivalent of two beginning teacher salaries. If we use that money, every teacher and student in our district will suffer with larger class sizes. I do not know one teacher who is willing to do that to our district.
According to one teacher today, the schools have been told that they can use money earmarked for textbooks to pay the bonuses. Really? We're going to continue to use old textbooks...that's not too big a problem in my area. Literature doesn't change, but let a science or history teacher use a textbook for fourteen years instead of the usual seven years, and students will be shortchanged.
Next to my faith, my conviction in free public education is a cornerstone of my belief system. I believe that every American student should be provided with opportunity. Opportunity is provided through education. Quality education costs money.
I left Oklahoma City today feeling very frustrated, but I've decided that I will continue to be vocal. This was just step one.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Unbearable grief
I have experienced grief, real grief, not the superficial heartache that we many times overreact to, but I've never experienced anything like the Anthony family is experiencing with this trial. I remember when the little girl was missing and they suspected that her mom was somehow involved. All of this happened the summer before Jason's death. At that time I had grieved the death of two sisters and both parents. I remember saying that although I missed them all, at least I had never lost a child. I couldn't imagine surviving the loss of a child. About the time of Jason's death, the details started coming out that connected the mom to the death of the child. I remember thinking then that there are things worse than death. I miss my son every day, but I don't think I could bear thinking that one of my children killed his or her own child. It would be bad to think that one of them could kill anyone, but to kill their own child--unbearable.
I have a morbid curiosity about this case. Every time I watch the news reports, I try to put myself in the place of that mother. Her heart was broken when her granddaughter was killed, but the torture that she is experiencing now is just beyond anything that I can imagine. I don't know if she is a woman of faith, but if she isn't, I hope there are people of faith reaching out to her.
My kids were heartbroken to lose their brother, but this week this woman's son is having to testify in a court of law for the prosecution that may lead to his sister's execution. She is having to hear that her daughter is now accusing her husband of sexual abuse. I know we overuse this phrase, but bless her heart.
I've heard over and over that a parent should never have to bury a child, and I agree, but what this family is experiencing should never happen either.
I'm going to pray for this family. The kind of comfort that they need can only come from God.
I have a morbid curiosity about this case. Every time I watch the news reports, I try to put myself in the place of that mother. Her heart was broken when her granddaughter was killed, but the torture that she is experiencing now is just beyond anything that I can imagine. I don't know if she is a woman of faith, but if she isn't, I hope there are people of faith reaching out to her.
My kids were heartbroken to lose their brother, but this week this woman's son is having to testify in a court of law for the prosecution that may lead to his sister's execution. She is having to hear that her daughter is now accusing her husband of sexual abuse. I know we overuse this phrase, but bless her heart.
I've heard over and over that a parent should never have to bury a child, and I agree, but what this family is experiencing should never happen either.
I'm going to pray for this family. The kind of comfort that they need can only come from God.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Elderly---Really?
How do I define elderly? Elderly is relative. When my husband's grandmother was in the nursing home at 96 years of age, I asked her who she ate with. Her response, "Lena VanMeter, Bessie French, and two elderly women" How old do you have to be to see yourself as elderly?
This week there was a horrible car accident near here. The tv news broke in to regular programming and reported a car accident with two fatalities. Immediately the text messages started. Does anyone know who it was? Were there kids involved? Soon I started receiving texts from teacher friends. Yes, three teenagers were injured, but a couple was killed. Now, don't blame them; they were just relaying what they had heard. One said an "older" couple were killed. One said an "elderly" couple. My mind went to 75-85. That's my definition of elderly. Guess what, the couple was my age. That changed my perspective, I thought of their survivors. When I thought they were in their 70's, I was thinking of their mature children and young adult grandchildren who would have to deal with such a horrible accident. I figured they were retired, so their day-to-day circle of friends would be small. I even wondered if they had been advised not to be driving by their family who would have to deal with the grief combined with guilt.
When I think about a couple taken who are in their 50's, everything changes. Now I'm thinking of their co-workers, young adult children, young grandchildren, friends...the list goes on. What if that had been Tony and me? I certainly started thinking how much stuff we've accumulated that needs to be tossed. I don't want anyone to have to go through all that junk and wonder why we haven't thrown it away. I thought of my kids. Now, part of me was thinking how much I've missed Jason and how wonderful it would be to be with him, but Allison and Carson are still here. I want to stay to see where life takes them. I want to have grandchildren some day. I want to retire some day and see what that is like. I want to visit Ireland and Scotland and re-visit England. I want to go to Alaska and many other US states that I haven't visited. I really want to do of this before I'm "elderly." It may be too late.
This week there was a horrible car accident near here. The tv news broke in to regular programming and reported a car accident with two fatalities. Immediately the text messages started. Does anyone know who it was? Were there kids involved? Soon I started receiving texts from teacher friends. Yes, three teenagers were injured, but a couple was killed. Now, don't blame them; they were just relaying what they had heard. One said an "older" couple were killed. One said an "elderly" couple. My mind went to 75-85. That's my definition of elderly. Guess what, the couple was my age. That changed my perspective, I thought of their survivors. When I thought they were in their 70's, I was thinking of their mature children and young adult grandchildren who would have to deal with such a horrible accident. I figured they were retired, so their day-to-day circle of friends would be small. I even wondered if they had been advised not to be driving by their family who would have to deal with the grief combined with guilt.
When I think about a couple taken who are in their 50's, everything changes. Now I'm thinking of their co-workers, young adult children, young grandchildren, friends...the list goes on. What if that had been Tony and me? I certainly started thinking how much stuff we've accumulated that needs to be tossed. I don't want anyone to have to go through all that junk and wonder why we haven't thrown it away. I thought of my kids. Now, part of me was thinking how much I've missed Jason and how wonderful it would be to be with him, but Allison and Carson are still here. I want to stay to see where life takes them. I want to have grandchildren some day. I want to retire some day and see what that is like. I want to visit Ireland and Scotland and re-visit England. I want to go to Alaska and many other US states that I haven't visited. I really want to do of this before I'm "elderly." It may be too late.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Another Mother's Day
I've been thinking of my mom today. I went to early church because we were having lunch at Cindy and Randy's. Early church sings hymns which takes me back to my childhood memories of church. My mother led singing in church, so hymns remind me of her. Today's selections could have been sung in my church in the 60's. "Holy, Holy, Holy" "Are You Washed in the Blood?" "Amazing Grace" took me back. We didn't clap much in our church, but I remember when we did, Mom had a little extra rhythm, a tribute to her Pentecostal roots. She was such a sweet, demure lady that it was always a little funny to me to hear her clap so enthusiastically at church.
My mother was ahead of her time when it comes to her Christian convictions. Some of these things I've shared before, but they are worth repeating.
Once when a young, single lady in our church was expecting a baby "out-of-wedlock," some of the ladies of the church didn't want to give a shower at church, so my mom and my sisters gave the shower for the girl. It was well-attended and showered that baby with all the necessities that all babies need. That is a Christian witness that makes me proud.
When we went to the Free Will Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, there was a Guns and Roses concert on the same night as the big missions meeting. These events took place side-by-side in a downtown area. It was quite a sight to behold. Walking side-by-side down the sidewalks were men in suits, ladies in their Sunday best and a pretty rough looking crowd of young people going to the concert. We were driving around looking for a parking spot when we saw a young lady in a rather risque dress and obviously drunk or high. She was leaned up against a building and seemed to be struggling to make her way to the concert in her very high heels. My mom's response was, "Bless her heart." I was so proud that my ten year old daughter and her friend heard a seventy year old woman speak with a compassionate, Christian heart instead of an "I never" attitude.
Mom was a fun Granny. She was happiest when her house was full. One Christmas she and Dad bought Atari systems for all four of our families. My sister-in-law and I left our four kids with Granny to go to the after-Christmas sales. When we returned, the living room was a mess, and Granny was sitting on the floor with the kids playing Pac Man. Jason and Toby were so proud of themselves for teaching her to play a video game. If I ever get to be a Granny, I want to be that kind of Granny.
I think the most astonishing conversation I ever had with my mom was about two months before her death. She was diagnosed with polycythemia, a blood disorder, in 1988. In the summer of 1996, she was very ill, and we were going to OKC every week to a doctor's appointment. Her bloodwork was not looking good, and she and I were both facing realities that we didn't want to face. One day on the way home, my mom said, "I've prepared my whole life for this, and even if I've been wrong, I still believe that living my life by the teachings of Jesus is a better way to live." That's when I realized just how wise my mother was and how far away from her I was in my Christian walk. I'm a doubter, but I didn't know my mother was too. Her honesty was so refreshing to me, but I couldn't help thinking that she was way beyond me. I was a Christian because I wanted to go to heaven; she was a Christian because it was the right way to live.
I've said this many, many times, but its truth is evident. My mother is the voice in my head. I haven't talked to her since the summer of 1996, but her words and actions, her witness to me and my family, her abiding faith prepared me for the grief that has come to my life.
Mother's Day is a bittersweet day for me. I miss Mom, Phyllis, Linda, and Jason, but I put on that smile that my mom would want me to wear and hope that I can be one-half the witness to others that she was to me.
My mother was ahead of her time when it comes to her Christian convictions. Some of these things I've shared before, but they are worth repeating.
Once when a young, single lady in our church was expecting a baby "out-of-wedlock," some of the ladies of the church didn't want to give a shower at church, so my mom and my sisters gave the shower for the girl. It was well-attended and showered that baby with all the necessities that all babies need. That is a Christian witness that makes me proud.
When we went to the Free Will Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, there was a Guns and Roses concert on the same night as the big missions meeting. These events took place side-by-side in a downtown area. It was quite a sight to behold. Walking side-by-side down the sidewalks were men in suits, ladies in their Sunday best and a pretty rough looking crowd of young people going to the concert. We were driving around looking for a parking spot when we saw a young lady in a rather risque dress and obviously drunk or high. She was leaned up against a building and seemed to be struggling to make her way to the concert in her very high heels. My mom's response was, "Bless her heart." I was so proud that my ten year old daughter and her friend heard a seventy year old woman speak with a compassionate, Christian heart instead of an "I never" attitude.
Mom was a fun Granny. She was happiest when her house was full. One Christmas she and Dad bought Atari systems for all four of our families. My sister-in-law and I left our four kids with Granny to go to the after-Christmas sales. When we returned, the living room was a mess, and Granny was sitting on the floor with the kids playing Pac Man. Jason and Toby were so proud of themselves for teaching her to play a video game. If I ever get to be a Granny, I want to be that kind of Granny.
I think the most astonishing conversation I ever had with my mom was about two months before her death. She was diagnosed with polycythemia, a blood disorder, in 1988. In the summer of 1996, she was very ill, and we were going to OKC every week to a doctor's appointment. Her bloodwork was not looking good, and she and I were both facing realities that we didn't want to face. One day on the way home, my mom said, "I've prepared my whole life for this, and even if I've been wrong, I still believe that living my life by the teachings of Jesus is a better way to live." That's when I realized just how wise my mother was and how far away from her I was in my Christian walk. I'm a doubter, but I didn't know my mother was too. Her honesty was so refreshing to me, but I couldn't help thinking that she was way beyond me. I was a Christian because I wanted to go to heaven; she was a Christian because it was the right way to live.
I've said this many, many times, but its truth is evident. My mother is the voice in my head. I haven't talked to her since the summer of 1996, but her words and actions, her witness to me and my family, her abiding faith prepared me for the grief that has come to my life.
Mother's Day is a bittersweet day for me. I miss Mom, Phyllis, Linda, and Jason, but I put on that smile that my mom would want me to wear and hope that I can be one-half the witness to others that she was to me.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Some interesting information about Tecumseh graduation.
Once again we have a heated controversy concerning Tecumseh's graduation, so I've decided to do some research. I have every yearbook from 1962-1973, so tonight I'm sitting in the floor looking at graduation pictures. Here is what I've found:
1962--No picture in the yearbook; I think THS Auditorium
1963--THS Auditorium--This building was torn down many years ago.
1964--THS Auditorium
1965--THS Auditorium--I think I remember that they only got 2 tickets per graduate because my sister graduated that year, and only my parents went.
1966--Football Field--according to my brother-in-law, people fought this change that year.
1967--Football Field
1968--Football Field
1969--Football Field
1970--Football Field
1971--Football Field--if you have a chance to look at the pictures in the yearbook of that year, please do it. The wind was blowing so hard that microphones were covered with little socks, all of the girls were holding on to their hats, the archbearers were being blown away.
1972--Footbal field
1973--Pre-graduation pictures were at the football field; storm came in; graduation moved to gym about fifteen minutes before ceremony was supposed to start. I graduated that year and just got in the car and went from one place to the other; I can't imagine the nightmare the administration and staff experienced.
I have no accurate information for the years between 1974 and 1991.
1991--Raley--changed at the last minute because of rain.
1992-Raley--changed at the last minute because of rain.
1993--Raley--This class decided from the beginning of the year to hold graduation at Raley as the first choice. My son was a senior; I was a class sponsor, so I speak with authority.
1994--2010--Raley
My experiences with outdoor graduations have been awful. I've already reported what happened to my high school ceremony. I graduated from college at UCO in July. Let me just say that a heavy graduation robe coupled with required "stockings" for the girls made for a very hot afternoon. Jason graduated from OSU in early May, and we just about froze to death during the afternoon ceremony.
People have made several suggestions about Tecumseh locations for the graduation. There is no indoor facility in Tecumseh that is as large as Raley Chapel. I hate to put exact numbers because someone will jump on any inaccuracy, but I'm going to lowball the estimates for all venues. Raley holds 2200; the Alumni Building is maxed out at 1100 or 1200; the gym holds about 1000; Church of Christ will hold about 1200. I don't know about Evangelistic Center. Those are the only places I can think of.
I had three children graduate from Tecumseh at Raley Chapel. If you ask them where they graduated, they would answer Tecumseh.
I know that Lloyd Noble, the Cox Convention Center, Rose State are used by many schools for their ceremonies. I could look it up from the various school websites, but I don't really need to prove it to me, so if you want to, you can. I'll suggest Noble, Purcell, Little Axe, Putnam City West, Choctaw. I know there are others.
Our faculty has been accused of lobbying for Raley, and I am honestly offended by that. I've told students of my experiences, but let me assure you of one thing. If the class voted to have its graduation at the football field, I would support them 100%. I may not agree, but it is their graduation. I've thought for years that we are probably going to have to have one graduation at the field so that the community will see that an outdoor ceremony in May in Oklahoma is not ideal.
I can assure you of one thing--the administration, faculty, and staff of Tecumseh High School will do all we can to make graduation night special for the graduates. We will make whatever adjustments we have to make for the ceremony whereever it is. I really don't think we are off-base for wanting it to be in a place where we will have no surprises.
1962--No picture in the yearbook; I think THS Auditorium
1963--THS Auditorium--This building was torn down many years ago.
1964--THS Auditorium
1965--THS Auditorium--I think I remember that they only got 2 tickets per graduate because my sister graduated that year, and only my parents went.
1966--Football Field--according to my brother-in-law, people fought this change that year.
1967--Football Field
1968--Football Field
1969--Football Field
1970--Football Field
1971--Football Field--if you have a chance to look at the pictures in the yearbook of that year, please do it. The wind was blowing so hard that microphones were covered with little socks, all of the girls were holding on to their hats, the archbearers were being blown away.
1972--Footbal field
1973--Pre-graduation pictures were at the football field; storm came in; graduation moved to gym about fifteen minutes before ceremony was supposed to start. I graduated that year and just got in the car and went from one place to the other; I can't imagine the nightmare the administration and staff experienced.
I have no accurate information for the years between 1974 and 1991.
1991--Raley--changed at the last minute because of rain.
1992-Raley--changed at the last minute because of rain.
1993--Raley--This class decided from the beginning of the year to hold graduation at Raley as the first choice. My son was a senior; I was a class sponsor, so I speak with authority.
1994--2010--Raley
My experiences with outdoor graduations have been awful. I've already reported what happened to my high school ceremony. I graduated from college at UCO in July. Let me just say that a heavy graduation robe coupled with required "stockings" for the girls made for a very hot afternoon. Jason graduated from OSU in early May, and we just about froze to death during the afternoon ceremony.
People have made several suggestions about Tecumseh locations for the graduation. There is no indoor facility in Tecumseh that is as large as Raley Chapel. I hate to put exact numbers because someone will jump on any inaccuracy, but I'm going to lowball the estimates for all venues. Raley holds 2200; the Alumni Building is maxed out at 1100 or 1200; the gym holds about 1000; Church of Christ will hold about 1200. I don't know about Evangelistic Center. Those are the only places I can think of.
I had three children graduate from Tecumseh at Raley Chapel. If you ask them where they graduated, they would answer Tecumseh.
I know that Lloyd Noble, the Cox Convention Center, Rose State are used by many schools for their ceremonies. I could look it up from the various school websites, but I don't really need to prove it to me, so if you want to, you can. I'll suggest Noble, Purcell, Little Axe, Putnam City West, Choctaw. I know there are others.
Our faculty has been accused of lobbying for Raley, and I am honestly offended by that. I've told students of my experiences, but let me assure you of one thing. If the class voted to have its graduation at the football field, I would support them 100%. I may not agree, but it is their graduation. I've thought for years that we are probably going to have to have one graduation at the field so that the community will see that an outdoor ceremony in May in Oklahoma is not ideal.
I can assure you of one thing--the administration, faculty, and staff of Tecumseh High School will do all we can to make graduation night special for the graduates. We will make whatever adjustments we have to make for the ceremony whereever it is. I really don't think we are off-base for wanting it to be in a place where we will have no surprises.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Minutes in heaven.
As most of you know if you have been following this blog, I've made many deposits in heaven in the last 20+ years. It started with my father-in-law in 1988,Mom in 1996, Phyllis in 2002, Daddy in 2003, Linda in 2005, and Jason in 2008. I didn't even include in that list Tony's two grandmothers, my grandparents, and various aunts and uncles in both Rider and Humphrey families who have passed away during that time. Therefore, I read everything I can read about heaven. I want to know where these loved ones are, what they are doing, what the place looks like, everything. Recently I read the book Heaven is for Real which started me thinking of Jason and the interraction he is experiencing with all those who went before him. I've always liked the idea that Jason is with my parents and his granddad, my sisters, and his grandmothers that he knew well. What the book did for me was to make me realize how far back the generations go, and to think of him with young and able-bodied great great grandparents is so much fun.
The little boy in the book visits heaven and gets to spend time with a grandfather that died before the boy was born. When he is back here, he is able to point out "Pop" from a picture of when Pop was a young man. When his dad showed him a picture of Pop as an old man, the boy says, "Dad, people don't wear glasses in heaven." There are no old people in heaven. I love, love, love this idea.
My mom's brothers and sisters were a group of the most loving, fun, happy Christian people I've ever known, but most of them suffered from physical ailments here on this earth. I can only imagine the laughter these people share in heaven when they don't have any pain or illness. After the stories they told about picking cotton, I wanted to pick cotton. They made it sound fun, but I've seen those movies; I've read the books. There was nothing fun about the experience unless you had my Uncle Earl to make it fun. I wonder if they are getting to pick cotton, but it is not hot, the cotton is not heavy, their hands aren't being destroyed.
I was reading the end of another book this week about how we would live if we only had thirty days to live. It sounds morbid, but it really isn't. It just makes us realize that we spend time like we have all the time in the world, but if we knew how long we had, we would be more intentional in the way we waste our resources. The end of that book has a story of a woman who has been told that she is dying. Her husband has their minister come to pray with her, and she teaches him a lesson that he passed on. The Bible says that With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is a day. The woman reminds the minister of this truth and then says. I've done the math. If my husband lives here for forty years after I'm gone, it will only be about an hour in heaven, so I'll just have to wait an hour.
My heart soared at this news. Jason has spent minutes in heaven. Our grief has gone on for two years and six months, but he hasn't even been there long enough to see the place and all the people who went there before him. If we use her math, my mom was only there about twenty minutes before Jason joined her. That explains so much to me. I always think of the people in heaven waiting for us to join them like we wait for a baby to be born. Expectantly. Hopefully. Joyfully. Their time is so much different from ours. One thing that has bothered me is thinking of Jason being cheated out of a long life because he love life. For some reason I'm not bothered about that now.
The little boy in the book visits heaven and gets to spend time with a grandfather that died before the boy was born. When he is back here, he is able to point out "Pop" from a picture of when Pop was a young man. When his dad showed him a picture of Pop as an old man, the boy says, "Dad, people don't wear glasses in heaven." There are no old people in heaven. I love, love, love this idea.
My mom's brothers and sisters were a group of the most loving, fun, happy Christian people I've ever known, but most of them suffered from physical ailments here on this earth. I can only imagine the laughter these people share in heaven when they don't have any pain or illness. After the stories they told about picking cotton, I wanted to pick cotton. They made it sound fun, but I've seen those movies; I've read the books. There was nothing fun about the experience unless you had my Uncle Earl to make it fun. I wonder if they are getting to pick cotton, but it is not hot, the cotton is not heavy, their hands aren't being destroyed.
I was reading the end of another book this week about how we would live if we only had thirty days to live. It sounds morbid, but it really isn't. It just makes us realize that we spend time like we have all the time in the world, but if we knew how long we had, we would be more intentional in the way we waste our resources. The end of that book has a story of a woman who has been told that she is dying. Her husband has their minister come to pray with her, and she teaches him a lesson that he passed on. The Bible says that With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is a day. The woman reminds the minister of this truth and then says. I've done the math. If my husband lives here for forty years after I'm gone, it will only be about an hour in heaven, so I'll just have to wait an hour.
My heart soared at this news. Jason has spent minutes in heaven. Our grief has gone on for two years and six months, but he hasn't even been there long enough to see the place and all the people who went there before him. If we use her math, my mom was only there about twenty minutes before Jason joined her. That explains so much to me. I always think of the people in heaven waiting for us to join them like we wait for a baby to be born. Expectantly. Hopefully. Joyfully. Their time is so much different from ours. One thing that has bothered me is thinking of Jason being cheated out of a long life because he love life. For some reason I'm not bothered about that now.
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