The Flu and other Tales of Christmas.
I wonder if the CDC has ever done a statistical study regarding the relationship between Christmas and the prevalence of flu. Grandma's house was an incubator for a couple different types. Luckily, I only caught the "head weighs 1,000 pounds" variety -- in my opinion much preferable to the "spend the night in the bathroom" variety.
We were playing cancellation hearts one day when we heard we were about to receive envoys from the "night in the bathroom" house so we all quickly created face masks out of towels, napkins and the like. Grandma actually had a mask she'd bought for spraying insecticide, but the rest of us looked pretty silly -- which, to be fair, is what we were going for. The Kerby family motto is anything for a laugh. Although, now that I think about it, that is the default motto after the original and still going strong second place is the first loser. ;)
I could tell you a few stories of what a Kerby will do for laughs, but I did have a serious topic to write about today. It's not news to anyone who knows me that I have a pretty high opinion of my parents. They made a few mistakes when I was growing up -- namely giving my brother a way easier time of it after I, the first-born, had plowed the way. <jokes>
They have some habits that really irritate me -- mostly the ones that I unfortunately inherited from them and don't like about myself. ;) But on the whole, they're pretty much awesome. I'm not writing them a tribute or anything, just trying to explain what I felt when Mom surprised us by reciting from memory the Christmas story in Matthew. She skipped the opening geneology, but from there on out recited almost perfectly and said she was planning to try to memorize all of Matthew. I was actually awed.
You see, early on in my adult life I realized that aspiring to be like Christ was, for me, a losing proposition. He is perfect after all, and though the Bible gives us a pretty good character sketch, it doesn't show Him deciding whether to tithe 10% from gross or net income or dealing with a situation at work that has no absolutely right or wrong option. However, mere mortals like my parents could be observed as they struggled on, trying to live rightly in this fallen world. I could watch my best friend to see how to be a better servant, or my grandma to show me how to be more gracious.
Bottom line, I strive to be like people I admire, but watching my Mom recite the Christmas story reminded me that they are striving also. Maybe sometimes it feels like slogging through knee-high mud with a 100-pound pack on our backs...but one day we will arrive at that destination we only see infrequent glimpses of now. One day our striving will be over.
Comments
I listened to her twice, read it again myself...and am still amazed! Especially. amazing for someone who had a hard time remembering anything last year.
Posted by: jdog | December 28, 2006 04:49 PM
Amen! Not you being sick, but your mom memorizing Scripture. That's very cool.
For what it's worth, Randall was barfing and running back and forth to the bathroom all day on Christmas :) And he had a fever of 102...Merry Christmas!
But he was fine the next day.
I'm glad you're back. :)
Posted by: Stacy L. Harp | December 28, 2006 01:50 PM