Sympathy Pains

When my children were (very) small I would find that I would have symptoms similar to their ailments. For example, I would experience a dull ache in my ear whenever they had ear infections. And, most certainly, my heart would ache when I saw them suffer emotionally.

These days I feel a variety of sympathy pains.

One boy was badly burned by the sun. The skin all over his back and shoulders is blistered and bubbled. It oozes and a layer or two comes off each time he removes his clothing. This same boy is "burning the candle at both ends," working full time while shearing sheep, giving lessons, and practicing for this weekend's performances. He is up before the crack of down, and home well after I go to bed at night. I'm exhausted to see him exhausted.

Another boy has had a very discouraging experience at his first job. His employer keeps him walking back and forth in the same position for hours on end. His feet are swollen and covered with blisters and open wounds.

My two Jamaican "daughters" sent money home with Western Union, only to be scammed by the store receiving the money on the Jamaican side. One sends money home to her father, who is caring for her child over the summer while she works at a minimum wage job selling french fries to Americans.

Last night I had a terrible migraine. The pain kept me from sleeping, and I tossed and turned for hours to the sound of the sheep dog barking at deer. The next morning I learned that my dear cousin had fallen into a coma, the result of an undetected brain tumor.

Phil 2:1-4 (Phi) Now if you have known anything of Christ's encouragement and of his reassuring love; if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and of compassion and deep sympathy, do make my joy complete--live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but consider other people's interests also.

On Procrastination - Making Memories NOW

We've made some great summer memories this year and we're only in the second week of July!

I treasure driving around with my 16-year-old son "looking for trouble." We found it in an Indian smoke shop that sells home-made cinnamon rolls the size of a pie plate.

Last weekend the oldest boy and I impulsively wrestled a ginormous blackberry patch behind our old house. We were determined to dig up and transplant some of the healthiest canes in order to get them growing at our new farm. We broke the spade as we dug. So we stopped and ate berries, and ate more berries. And took silly cell-phone pictures of berries.

One night after work I took the children to see a lamb we had donated to a petting zoo. Since we were already near the lake we decided to go to the shore and jump in. Clothes on. The cold lake water felt delicious.

This summer I'm making the most of the fact that I work at an amusement park. We're seeing the shows, splashing in the water park, and visiting the surrounding attractions.

We've made friends with some of the International Students. Even though life is already busy, "fitting in time" for these folks blesses us greatly. I've learned about "Akkee and Fish," the national dish of Jamaica. I also learned that one of the students has a one-year-old son at home. She had to leave him at home with her dad because this was the only work she could find. She works in Food Service at minimum wage.

I'm trying harder to lean in, instead of waiting for a better time to do "such and such." I'm sorting one box per day from our mountain of boxes from the move. And I'm not saving items "for a later date" as has been my custom.

I'm learning to organize and push myself as I've seen my best friend Y (from Japan) do.

She lives every day as if there could be an earthquake tomorrow. Now is the time to "get it done."

Picture Summer - July Photo A Day Challenge

“Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones