Writer's Wednesday -- Marilyn Meberg

Mom had asked that her body be cremated... On the day I picked up the little box that contained my mother's ashes, I experienced a perculiar sensation as I tried to grasp the reality I was experiencing. I would never again see what was visually familiar to me about my mother. What I was carrying in my hands was completely foreign.

Ken was waiting in the front seat of the car. As I opened the door with the box in my hands, his eyes were averted in an attempt to be more casual about that moment than either of us felt. As I place the box on the seat, there was an awkward moment of silence. I broke the silence with a quiet, "Mom, would you like a seat belt?" Ken looked startled and I laughed--not hard and loud--but it felt good. My mom would have understood--in fact, she would have joined me. For a few minutes, my hurt was diminished--less intense. It was a painful moment relieved by a quiet laugh. It restored my control.

You may feel there are times in life that simply will not yield even an ounce of humor. May I suggest that during those seemingly interminable times of pain, you fight to see beyond the restrictive confines of the immediate; remind yourself that those moments will not last forever. Whatever it is that threatens to crush your spirit and claim your joy today will not necessarily be there tomorrow, next month, or next year. Life moves forward and circumstances change. You will not always be in a pit! That reminder in itself brings a respite to the soul. From there perhaps a glimmer of light can seep through the darkness, enabling you to search out that seemingly elusive but spirit-lifting smile or laugh that helps you regain control.

-----Marilyn Meberg, Choosing the Amusing. W Publishing Group, 1999.

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And one more, just for the giggle value:

Wisdom doesn't necessarily come with age.
Sometimes age just shows up all by itself.

-----Tom Wilson
as quoted in I Don't Suffer from Insanity... I Enjoy Every Minute of It! by Barbara Johnson