I’d been planning on having something else ready for posting.
By Friday afternoon, that obviously wasn’t going to happen. So I’ll talk about what has been happening.
I should have my ducks in a row by the end of next week.
This week’s highlight was an unexpected visit from number-two daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.
They’d been vacationing in Kentucky, and had planned on driving straight through to their home in North Dakota.
Then our granddaughter had a learning experience involving a swing and gravity. She’ll be okay, but right now she’s dealing with a broken arm. And that’s why they stopped off in Sauk Centre.
Turns out that our granddaughter emphatically wanted to see Grandma and Grandpa Gill, her aunt and uncle.
Her parents aren’t overly-indulgent; but under the circumstances, they figured that taking time for a stopover was a good idea. Our young granddaughter is doing a fine job, by the way, dealing with her broken arm.
But she was also, while she was here, somewhat subdued. Understandably. She broke all three bones in her arm, which is why she had surgery Friday.
The last I heard, it’s “had” surgery: past tense. She’s had the operation and is recovering, last I heard. Taking the ‘no news is good news’ attitude, I’ll see that as good news.
I can’t, reasonably, be happy that my granddaughter broke her arm. But I was glad of the opportunity for a little ‘granddaughter time’.
Meanwhile, my wife and the two now-grown kids here in Sauk Centre could be feeling better: although so far I’ve been less obviously under the weather.
All of the above may explain why I’ve been feeling distracted this week.
It also reminds me that it’s been some time since I’ve talked about life, health and all that.
Life Happens, and That’s Okay
I was mentioning our granddaughter in my daily prayers before this week’s visit.
That’s something I’ll keep doing.
Talking about what prayer is, why it’s a good idea, and why it’s part of my daily routine is more than I’ve got time for today.
So is a detailed discussion of why I don’t think the Almighty smote my granddaughter because I watched Star Trek, back in the 1960s.
Now that I think of it, it’s been a few years since that sort of Bible-thumping craziness squelched across my path. I don’t miss the experience, and that’s another topic.
Let’s see, where was I? Family, a broken arm, a pleasant if low-key visit, prayer. Right.
I see being alive as preferable to the alternative, all else being equal. It’s a personal opinion, but it’s also part of my faith: something I’m obliged to believe.
Human life is precious. All human life is precious. It’s sacred: a gift from God. So is physical health. Taking care of both, within reason, is a good idea. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2288)
That doesn’t mean that good people are guaranteed good health, and that you can tell who the bad guys are by seeing who’s sick. Flipping that attitude over, the good guys aren’t always sick and smiling bravely. Reality doesn’t work that way.
Being healthy is okay. Being sick is okay. They’re both part of being alive. Getting well, and helping others get well, is a good idea. The same goes for scientific research: about which ethics apply, same as anything else we do. (Catechism, 1410, 1500-1510, 2292-2296)
But staying or getting healthy shouldn’t be my top priority. Putting anything or anyone where God belongs would be idolatry. And a bad idea. (Catechism, 2112-2113)
If all this this sounds familiar, I’m not surprised.
I’ve talked about it before:
- “A Three-Day Visit: Time Well Spent“
(April 28, 2023) - “April 13, 2023; Quick Update“
(April 14, 2023) - “Tuesday, August 30, 2022: Son-in-Law Update, and a Coffee Break“
(August 30, 2022) - “In Praise of Lilacs, Blue Sky and Rain“
(May 29, 2021) - “A Family Visit is Still in Progress: Kids and Adoption“
(February 1, 2021)
