44. If It Weren't For The Pain, It Would Be Beautiful.

That's a line from David Gerrold's novel When HARLIE Was One that one person says someone told him when he was asked what it feels like to have a seizure. I don't remember HOW I ended up on the floor of the bathroom at work last Monday afternoon but I had some nice sore spots on my head and shoulders where I must have hit the wall … the next thing I remember after leaving my desk was being propped up in the bathroom by someone's leg and an EMT having to leap over the counter to get to me, and getting me strapped down into an ambulance. Spent about three hours at Trinity Hospital and Martha took off early to see me – man, she is way more faithful to me than I deserve. No off-kilter medicine levels, so right now we're attributing my having the seizure to stress. Will we find out more or will I get drugged more when I see the neurologist tomorrow? I pray not. And I ask you to pray with me that I get a good report … I cannot believe God wants to break me down with this!

And I had forgotten how much fun Robert Heinlein's stories can be to read! Granted, of the three novels from the 1950s comprising A Heinlein Trio that I finished this weekend I'd only previously read “The Door Into Summer” about engineer Dan Davis tricked out of his inventions by his business partner and his fiancee into a thirty-year Long Sleep (suspended animation – remember, this is science fiction) and “The Puppet Masters” about the alien invasion of Earth by “slugs” that crawl onto your back I'd only heard about based on a far Far FAR inferior movie adaptation, but “Double Star” was all new to me, the story of an actor who's employed to replace the human minister to mushroom-like Martians who ends up having to take the role for longer than he expects. When Martha and the kids and I were not on the road checking out various garage sales here in Minot this weekend and Martha and I weren't busy with each other, I got to catch up on some great reading!

When I got home from work Friday night, Jeffrey and his friend Cade who was staying the night were sitting playing on two of our Nintendo Dses and Martha and Sarah were in the kitchen just finishing the best spaghetti and garlic bread we've had in the house. Next week Cade's mom told us he'd be having his birthday party at Planet Pizza, the week before he and his mom are moving out of Minot … it'll be good for him and Jeff (seems nearly everyone in our son's class calls him “Jeff” now and he doesn't mind it). I'm glad that he and Sarah find it easy to make friends, and even make up with each other like they did this morning. Got into a fight over playing with dominoes after breakfast and after a few minutes were friendly thrashing each other about! Kids got perfect attendance in Sunday school for this school year again (for Sarah that's four years and for Jeffrey three).

But THAT'S nothing; at Spring Fling held yesterday at our church, Jaci (pronounced “JC”) just finishing sixth grade got honored with perfect attendance through all of Sunday school, AND her mother Becky got recognized for not missing a Sunday helping out as a teacher or shepherd or in some role within Bethany's Sunday school program over the last seventeen years. Actually, Becky did miss one Sunday … giving birth to Jaci in the hospital! Happy Birthday yesterday to my father Robert Eugene Alvin Sr. who would have been eighty-eight Sunday, and Happy Birthday today to my nephew Brandon here in Minot (can always tell how old he is 'cause he was born in 2000) and my friend Emerald in Missouri. I am so thankful for all of them, and I know I can be lousy at showing it. May they like my own family forgive me where I fall short. Sometimes, though, you need the pain of missing out to appreciate what's truly important in your life.

 

 

Love, me