You can tell by the date of my last post that the past two years have been heavy. Actually for five years, many of the people I love most have gone through significant difficulties that have no short-term solutions. One of the hardest lessons I've learned is how to live with joy in light of unsolved problems. I've been writing during this season, but most didn't seem appropriate for The Sunflower Gospel's mostly light-hearted tales.
My sisters and I have been helping to care for our elderly parents since they were diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease in 2009 and 2011. Some of our experiences could fill a bucket with tears. Other times we find ourselves laughing so hard about something terrible that we'll say almost in unison: "Laugh Til You Cry, Cry Til You Laugh!" Laughter has gotten us through a long season of goodbyes and losses and griefs.
Recently, as I was working out, I began laughing out loud about a crazy story from my favorite podcast, "This American Life." It struck me that people love stories, both funny and tragic, because they evoke empathy: "I thought it was just me, but it's not." So as I was walking in the neighborhood last week, I made a voice memo list of some stories I'd like to tell in the spirit of "Laugh Til You Cry, Cry Til You Laugh." I hope you'll enjoy them and write down your own.
A Little Preview: The Dress. The Lizard. Driving with Elders. Five Patients and Two Neurologists. Hospital Fireworks. The Support Group. The "Divorce". Lipstick. Wheels. Non-compliance. The Bulldog. Joyce. Picking Cemeteries. The Cast. Purple Velour. Elephant in the Kitchen. The Resort. Oink Brown. Rising to the Occasion. Church and Sausage Biscuits. Activities. Hazel. Fred Mertz. Billy. Blinking Lights and the Reunion. Beautiful Cousin. The New Cadillac. The Secret. The Handgun.
