Sunday, December 23, 2007

Tin Men

"Oz didn't give nothing to the tin man, that he didn't, didn't already have." -Dewey Bunnell


The Wizard of Oz was on the other night and it triggered memories for my husband.
David played the Cowardly Lion in his sixth grade production of the Wizard of Oz. He was a precocious boy, the kind of kid that C.S. Lewis was, the kind that people wanted to "wipe that look off his face". Giving David that part allowed him to throw his energy into a wildly popular character and perform with raucous abandon. Our neighbor, Ann, was cast as the Scarecrow and a boy who I never met was the Tin Man.

The Tin Man boy had some problems and was teased by some of his classmates. I'm sure his life had happy moments along with the sad, as we all do, but at some point later on in his adult life he committed suicide.

I wonder how many Tin Men out there need to know that they are loved for who they are. I pray- Jesus make it real. Make love real.

We're all tin men.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

fa la la la la la la

"It's coming on Christmas. They're cutting down trees."- Joni Mitchell


We have a beautiful Christmas tree that we cut down at a tree farm forty minutes or so from St. Louis. On the way home it was windy and we were concerned that my husbands eagle scout knots wouldn't hold- but they did.

I hosted the annual neighborhood Bunco Christmas party at our country club. I really stress over hosting Anything- even if all I have to do is choose a menu with the help of the incredible woman who's job it is to plan such things. It was wonderful and all of my stress was for naught.

Yesterday my family and I attended the sentencing of someone we love in the Federal Court building in St. Louis. Our friend pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud. He helped some New Zealanders get visas to come here and drive trucks. Our friend saw a need and thought he could fill it by the creative use of the system. Shortly after he was convicted the President said it was ok for some Mexicans to aquire the same type of visa. As Uncle Scar said so eloquently in The Lion King-"Life's not fair."

It's been a busy time.