Laughter and Tears

My Sweetheart and I went to the city today. Primarily, or so I thought, to buy new clothes for My Sweetheart to wear at his niece's (our flowergirl's) wedding.  The wedding is in 2 weeks.  We needed to act fast.  But My Sweetheart had a list.  You know - a long city farmer list. Anyway,as we started out on our trek I remembered that my brother had phoned.  Not my blue-suede brother, but my other brother.  He had phoned last night when I was out.  And my family was outside working.  So we missed his call.

So, on our way to the city for the farmer stuff (how ironic is that?) and for the wedding clothes, I sent him a text. I texted "i know you phoned last night."  He replied, "I did?"  I thought that was a strange reply. So I texted back, "yeah, you phoned when I was out and my family was outside."  And then I never heard back from him.

While I was in the mall, after finding some exquisite bras for the newer, smaller me, and while waiting for My Sweetheart while he was finding the stuff on his 'list', I checked the outbox on my cell phone. Who knew that the numbers that spell out P-H-O-N-E-D on a cell are the exact same numbers that spell out S-I-N-N-E-D? No wonder my brother hadn't replied.  I think he was dumbfounded.  Then I got the giggles while I was trying to imagine his bewilderment. "I know you sinned last night."  ~ that's the message he would have got.  And then "Yeah, you sinned when I was out and my family was outside." My giggles, which I tried to stifle being that I was all by myself and all, turned into loud snorts. And that got me laughing even louder. So here I was walking down the hall of the mall snorting and laughing all by myself. By this time My Sweetheart was in the parking lot waiting for me.  He was on his cell phone and almost couldn't hear himself talk to the neighbor who lives right across the road from us, because I was laughing so hard.

Eventually we bought some wedding duds - that was another adventure. But we got it done.  My Sweetheart wants his niece to know that he must love her very much to have spent so much time in a dressing room.

After running around and running out of time to get everything on both of our lists complete, we headed home. I phoned my brother and started laughing again when he told me that he was wracking his brain trying to figure out what he had done last night that I would have found out about. That was worth the phone call right then. And of couse, more laughter and guffawing ensued.

The giggles that had been so prominent for most of the day have now been replaced with tears. I just got off the phone after talking with  a dear friend.  A soccer mom friend. A woman who has been a friend since our boys were 10 and 11 years old.  We met at the soccer pitch. There are a unique group of us 'soccer parents' whose friendship grew very quickly.  A group of 'soccer parents' who enjoy just being together. I love these friends. Anyway, my dear friend ~ 1 of my dear friends anyway - informed me that 1 of the soccer boys - a young man now - a boy who has played soccer with DS since they were 10 and 11 years old, a boy whose parents have coached Dear Son in soccer - a good guy,a really truly good guy, with loving, dear parents, has cancer. And it does not look good. He's been in the cancer ward for some time now. The cancer has spread. And all I can do right now is cry. And pray. And hope.  And pray some more.  I know that the Lord can perform a miracle. I know this young man can be healed.  But I also know that maybe he won't be healed. And then I cry some more. How devastating this must be for him.  For his parents.  For his brother.  His grandparents, his friends....

We talked about what we could do as friends - gas gift cards, restaurant gift cards -yes,  that will be provided. But what we can't do, I'm trusting the Lord to do. I'm praying that the Lord will wrap His loving, caring, understanding, strong arms around this family and comfort them. I pray that He will use us, as much as we are able, to be HIS arms around this family as they go through this unwanted journey. I pray that God's light will shine brightly around this family as they are in, no doubt, a dark, dark time. Probably the darkest time that they have ever been in.  And I am praying that their tears of anguish will be replaced with the kind of laughter that dominated my day until l talked to my dear friend on the phone this evening.