| Wednesday night, we made a trip to the emergency room at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Jonah had the flu over the weekend and it turned into croup. In the middle of barking, he began to have problems breathing...very scary! The nurse called us back and checked him over right away and everyone was very helpful and friendly. Of course, when you have a barking cough, it can be a little discomfiting. I suggested that he throw in a few growls with the cough. He didn't agree with my observation that his cough was more special than everyone else's. A few of the staff tried to make light of it. One nurse said he sounded like a seal pup...Jonah was having none of it. He said, between barks, "I'm embarrassed!" The hospital emergency room is an interesting place because there's so much to look at. It's been a long time since we've been there. I don't know why, but there is another waiting room where you stay after the nurse has checked you out. Jonah and I visited with some other people...it's always fascinating to hear about other people's health issues. One man had diagnosed himself with a broken toe. He's a hip-hop dancer so it was a serious problem. We listened to him talk as other people moved into the room. A woman came in with her two small children, each carrying an orange examination glove blown up and tied like a balloon. Another woman promptly walked over to the boxes of exam gloves on the wall and blew up a size medium for her daughter. She asked Jonah if he wanted one. He looked at the large inflated hand in bewilderment and said, "no." The man with the broken toe went over and took a size large and began to inflate it. It was huge and close to popping when he finally tied it. He tried to give it to Jonah who again refused the offer of a misshapen and grotesque hand. Just then, the nurse came to get us. As we left, I told the man who was now sitting with the large orange hand on his lap, "I'm sorry he doesn't want it. Now the only question is, what are you going to do with it?" I have a suggestion for St. Elizabeth Hospital...put up some posters of how to make balloon glove animals. On the subject of Jonah...I'll tell you the story of our Easter Sunday morning when he was five. I love to get up early, assemble baskets and then wake the kids but that year, when I turned on the light in the living room, he was sitting on the couch with a toy rifle....yes, we buy our kids toy guns...the story gets better. "What are you doing?" I asked. "I've been waiting for the Easter bunny." he said. "Why do you have your gun?" "I'm gonna shoot him." All day long, he searched for the elusive bunny. Sometime when he wasn't looking, the bunny came and left colored eggs. What a disappointment! Boiled eggs taste nothing like fresh rabbit. I don't think it was the meat he wanted, just the thrill of the kill. That night, he cried and we soothed him and said he could try again next year. Now he's 11 with a pellet gun and a plan to annihilate. I love Easter! If you're like me, this weekend is not totally focused on bunnies and eggs, although we have our fair share of that kind of fun. I just finished a Biblical history class for college. Wow! I have a whole new respect for ministers. This was one of the most difficult classes I have ever had, covering most of the New Testament period. At the end of the semester, we watched "The Passion of the Christ." This was very powerful and even more meaningful after studying the various cultures and beliefs, as well as the setting. I found a very moving video on youtube with a song and scenes from the movie. Click here to watch. This is a weekend to be grateful! Happy Easter! |
| Who Let the Dogs Out??? |
