the Infinite Monkey speaks: shut up
Random brilliance from across the blogosphere…
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Sometimes, when I’m talking and a bug flies into my mouth, I like to think that’s God’s way of saying “Hey. Maybe you should shut up.”
– girlonthecontrary
from:
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Posts tagged ‘God’
May 19
4 Comments
May 13
Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is buried in my neighborhood
So the big news around here last Friday was that Tamerlan Tsarnaev was being buried in my county. The police department was actually forced to make a statement along the lines of, “Yes, we know what’s happening. Stop calling us. Oh, and 911 is for emergencies.”
I’m not sure what all those people calling 911 were thinking, why they thought it was an emergency or what they thought the police were supposed to do about it.
Though I hate to admit it, my own knee-jerk reaction to the information, while hardly volatile, was less than hospitable. I thought, “Why here? He doesn’t belong here. Why did they bring him to where I live?”
I just didn’t like it.
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I still have that reaction on the surface of my heart, but deeper than that is the understanding that people are not one-dimensional. There is more to us than our worst deeds.
God, for my own sake, I hope so.
And it’s easier than you might think to become something different from what you started out as. It’s easier than you think to get wrong ideas in your head, to become immersed in whatever crazy thing you believe, and to find yourself acting on that wrong thinking in terrible, possibly irreversible ways.
But I was saddened by the ugliness and just venom from some of the comments I read on-line, ranging from a simple “this is a disgrace” to “throw him in the sewer” to “Massachusetts doesn’t want this trash rotting in their soil, so why should we have to take him?”
What he did was horrendous. But I have to wonder, is there an act so vile and repugnant that it completely renders the person irredeemable?
And at what point does it then become okay to deny that person their humanity?
Because if that line exists, I believe there are so many more people who don’t belong in our communities, much less our graveyards. People you’ll never hear about, who carry out their atrocities in quiet and nearly invisible ways.
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He’s here because no place else would have him.
The Christian woman who found the cemetery said, “Jesus tells us ‘love your enemies’, not to hate them even after they are dead.”
The Muslim organization that runs the cemetery released a statement that they condemn his actions but believe burying him was their duty. “To God belongs the soul, and He has the final judgment.”
There is a part of me that feels a bit contaminated when I think of this man being buried here. As irrational and unkind as that is.
And even though I’ve carried out atrocities of my own.
But at the same time, I’m glad he was taken in. I’m glad there were people with enough compassion and love and unclouded thinking to do what was morally and ethically right.
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This Time I Won’t Blink
Last month my second cousin Brandon was killed in a motorcycle crash. He was 27 years old. I didn’t tell you guys about it because I just couldn’t find the words. I didn’t know him very well in the sense that I wasn’t intimate with the daily details of his life. You know how that is, as families grow it gets harder and harder to stay connected with everyone. But I knew who he was as a person, and I know what the world is now missing.
His mother, my cousin Monica, wrote a beautiful eulogy that she agreed to let me share with you. I have so many thoughts and feelings about what Monica says here, that once again I just can’t find the right words to express myself. So I’ll let her words speak for themselves.
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On December 1, 1985, his father, Bob, and I were lucky enough to have been blessed with the birth of a beautiful baby boy. And when I say beautiful, I do mean beautiful. After already having a beautiful daughter (and once again, I do mean beautiful) I knew my life was now complete. Boy, was I wrong, but I’ll tell you about that later.
As a parent you have so many things to do for a small child: feed and nurture them, teach them how to walk, drink from a cup, how to hold utensils, how to use the potty, how to play nice. Branden excelled at all of these things. Well, except for the potty thing…that took a little time.
You blink your eyes and then one day it is time for them to go to school. And then it is a whole new set of things to teach them. How to read, how to write, how to do math, science and history. How to do their homework (AND TURN IT IN ON TIME). Branden always struggled a bit with that one. They then start having friends away from your view, and yet another whole set of lessons need to be taught. How to be caring and loving. How to be respectful to others. How to be trusting of others. How to stand up for the underdog and be a good friend. (Jamie and Branden both excelled greatly at this). Much better than the homework thing. And then once again, you blink and then come new lessons to be taught. How to drive. How an 11:00 curfew really means 11:00. (Once again the curfew thing was a struggle for both Jamie and Branden). How to be careful and responsible for your actions. To be considerate of other people’s feelings and own up to both your mistakes and your achievements. That was an easy enough lesson for both the kids.
Then comes the blink. Your children are now adults and want to be anywhere but home where all the rules and the parents are. They move out. I remember Doug and I both trying to figure out what to do after Branden decided to move out. We were so used to having he and his multitude of friends making so much noise playing music (you see band practice was always at our house). Well it took Doug and I about 3 short weeks to figure out… we could do whatever we wanted!
We were both so proud of Branden for buying a house at the age of 21. And even though Branden had moved out, we had the privilege of working with him every day. So we got to see him all the time. It was at that time Branden turned the tables on us. Being parents we still thought we had lessons to teach. And we still had a few but for the most part our teaching careers were over.
Now enter Branden the man. And guess what….he was the teacher. Only the lessons were different. Branden taught Doug and I both…the importance of “LIVING LIFE LARGE”, following your dreams until you find them, giving all to what you believe in, not to judge a book by its cover, to take life very slow and absorb all you can from it. And of course, “it is not about what the T-shirt says, it’s about the man behind it, and holes and piercings are a good thing.” I will live the rest of my life with these lessons in my heart and mind. Well, all except the holes and piercings one. I still struggle with that.
Now back to my life being complete… I now know what I thought about my life feeling totally complete after having Branden was wrong. My life was only completed after my two wonderful children had children of their own. I then had the privilege of watching them teach the all so many lessons to be taught. And much to my surprise (you see I was certain they had not been paying proper attention….they had). Branden and Jamie both turned out to be wonderful parents with wonderful and beautiful (yes, beautiful) children.
Regrets and sorrow, yes I have regrets and sorrow where Branden and Jamie are concerned. (Jamie, I will express mine with you later). I regret I wasn’t there to hold my son when he drew his last breath. I regret I didn’t see him for the man he was sooner (you see he was still my baby). I regret I didn’t encourage him to follow every dream he had (well most of them anyway). I still don’t think the tattoos, piercings and corn beef shop would have worked out. And I am sorry his life was taken too soon. I am sorry that he will not get to experience seeing his children grow up. I am certain he would have loved it.
“No parent should ever have to suffer the loss of their child”. Doug and I have heard that said too many times, but never truly understood in until now. We now know the kind of pain and loss my mom, Doug’s mom, James, Rosemary, Janet, Joe and Virginia, Mae and Bob have suffered. I hope none of you have to endure this kind of loss. It leaves a hole in your heart that can never be filled. A good friend of ours sent me a message last night that said this:
“Remember some days it’s a day at a time. Some days it’s a step at a time. And some days it’s a breath at a time. There will be days you will not want to get out of bed, but do…because he would have wanted you to.”
Thank you Gale for those words.
In closing I would like to say I know my son was truly happy. I am certain he knew how much he was loved by both Doug and I, and all of you. I know he is now being taken care of by his other parent, and they are playing guitars in heaven. Although I am certain they are having serious discussion over the music choices, and if my brother George gets involved who knows what direction it will go.
Rest easy my son, because you are with some of the greatest. Stay cradled in God’s arms. I promise to watch over and love the kids in your absence. I know we will be together again someday, and I promise I will let you finish teaching me…and this time I won’t blink.
♦
Mar 10
the Infinite Monkey speaks: the right message
Random brilliance from across the blogosphere…
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I cried because for the first time in my life, I wanted gay people to know Jesus loved them more than I wanted them to know my theological position.
– Sammy Adebiyi
from:
The Gay Community and That One Time Jesus Called Me the ‘N-word’
Sammy blogs at SammyAdebiyi.com
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steadily skipping stones 