Serious Thoughts, Serious Times

First of all, some very sad news for a lot of folks our family knows and loves: Amber's father passed away a little over a week ago. Amber is a great gal and one of my sister Ellen's two oldest, best friends. She is also a fellow blogger, and so I can direct you to her own words about her dad, Jim Muller. I'm so sorry, Amber.

On another serious note, I heard from close family members that they saw my cousin Jack's National Guard unit listed as going on extended duty in Iraq. I worry about him every day - and also about everybody else in that country, of course, whatever their nationality, their creed or culture. But I don't know the rest of them like I know Jack; I didn't grow up with them; my boys don't wear the monster t-shirts anybody else (who is in Iraq) got them a year and a half ago... And every time I think of Jack, I think of his family, of course. Only, up until yesterday I could imagine that they were getting more and more excited for his return in a month's time. And now it looks like it'll be more like five more months. Ugh.

Also, some more recommended reading.

And a comment about a kind of person who I rarely have much to do with, but who sometimes find their way into just about everybody's lives: The other day, I ran into an aquaintence of ours. The conversation went fine until we were parting ways, and she looked at the boys and said in a surprisingly nasty way, "I wouldn't trade places with you!" I almost laughed. It was such a calculated, horrible little line. And she'd said it so that the boys could hear it! I might have found it slightly less twisted, were it the first time that it'd happened. But once before, and in similar circumstances, she'd said something even more pointed, and right over the boys' heads. It's hard to describe these situations (partly because you'd have to describe alot more about your dealings with the person in question, and that's not actually the point, here), but it made me pause. After all, being rude BACK is no use, and let's be honest: it's not even worth one's time or effort. Then again, being kind to the person doesn't feel like it is, either; especially when you've done that before, and it's done little or no good. So what do you do? I wish I'd thought of my grand old friend Greg's response to an extremely rude waiter in Lausanne, Switzerland: he just looked at the guy and burst out laughing. And it worked! As it was, I said I wouldn't trade places with anybody, myself, as I feel extremely lucky to be the mother of (these two) twins - implying of course that she had nothing to worry about, that trading places wouldn't be asked of her. There is another element to this story, though, and that is that you are (well, I am) left with a kind of sadness in your heart for the other person. How sad and angry must you be to resort to such needling?

Oops! The boys have awoken from their nap and are in need of hugs and noodles. More and happier thoughts tomorrow, perhaps...