Someone had a birthday in our household yesterday, and since I recently shared with you the news of what Steve's employer, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, chose to do to him several months before he turned 68, I thought I'd share this photo from yesterday's birthday celebration. We had an enjoyable festive meal with Steve's brother Joe. I took the photo below of Steve and Joe several evenings earlier, when Joe joined us for supper.
Steve's now 68: hard to imagine. Just as it's hard to imagine I'm 69 and will turn 70 if, God willing, I live to my birthday next March. We were babes in arms when we met in 1971, it begins to seem after the long passing of years.
I share the photo of the plate of lamb chops with no little trepidation, since I have friends on Facebook who are very convinced vegetarians and vegans, who don't like seeing such sights, and may have Bilgrimage followers in the same camp. My own inclination is away from meat-eating, and I positively admire those who make that choice.
But I live with a very convinced carnivore who says he feels weak when we've eaten meatless meals for several days, and, since he works very hard to make life good for both of us, and grew up in a German-American farming culture in which meat-eating was a central part of life, I want him to have what makes him feel happy and well-fed, and am happy for him to have all the lamb chops his heart desires. He's a very good man, and deserves what makes him feel content and loved.
Everyone has a story, after all. And the challenge of being fully human is to pay attention to the stories of those around us, surely, to seek to hear them, to call them forth and create the conditions for them to be told and cherished.
Everyone has a story, after all. And the challenge of being fully human is to pay attention to the stories of those around us, surely, to seek to hear them, to call them forth and create the conditions for them to be told and cherished.
No comments:
Post a Comment