Kelly's Korner

SHE CAN'T REMEMBER THAT

My daughter called me a few minutes ago. She had been to see her husband's twin nieces that were born Monday. Addison weighed 1 pound and 10 ounces, and Kylie weighed 1 pound and 11 ounces. She said that she had never seen anything so small. She also said that there were lines and tubes everywhere on those two little ones. They have made it for five days so far. Our prayer is that those are just the first five of many for those little ones.

As she talked to me a picture immediately flashed into my mind. It was of another baby, one that was more normal in size, but that had tubes running everywhere. She can't remember that.

It is as if my ears are still echoing the whooshing sound of the respirator that was breathing for her. I can still feel the feeling of the floor being yanked out from under me when the alarm went off, and they announced "Code Blue" in the NICU. I saw all those doctors and nurses surrounding her little body working frantically, until they shut the shades to block out the struggle with death that she was fighting. But, thankfully, she can't remember that.

I remember touching that little face with my fingers and talking gently to her, all the while watching a machine do her breathing. I remember her mother being so shocked and alarmed that she could not even cry - or pray. Those moments are forever burned into my memory by the hot iron of despair mingled with hope. But she can't remember that.

I remember a day, four years later when she took the finger of a doctor and headed off to the operating room. I don't think that she can remember that.

I remember the shock and dismay when her mother and I walked into the recovery room after the surgery and there she lay once again with tubes running everywhere. She can't remember that.

We watched this tiny little four year old as they tried to keep her lung working - the one that they had just removed about 40% of. They put in chest tubes, and took them out and replaced them, it seemed like an innumerable amount of times. She would pass out from the pain each time. I remember as clearly as the days of that forever lasting summer when we had to take hold of three chest tubes and turn her over, because they were way to heavy for her to move without our help. I don't know, but I hope that she can't remember that.

But now I remember the day, only nine months ago, when she called on the last day of her job, to say that she might need to go to the hospital, because she might be in labor. We got to the hospital a little too late to see her before they took her in to take the baby, because he was turned wrong. She did not see my anxiousness and worry. She did not feel the fact that I was actually relieved that she did not have to endure the total rigors of labor. She did not see me pacing the floor and trying not to remember all that she had gone through all those years ago. She did not see, so she can't remember that.

And now I pray that one day those little girls will have grown into women. I hope that they will look on a newborn baby in amazement, and worry over one that is having trouble. And I hope that it will be said of each one that she made it through some really bad times, but she can't remember that.

Kelly's Korner Komment

DOGS

At the start let me go ahead and clarify some things. First of all, dogs are not simply less evolved humans. Humans are made in the image of God, and are no relation to dogs, except that God made both. Secondly, and related to that, humans are of more intrinsic value than dogs, though some humans don't act like it. No one was more appalled at the accusations against pro-football player Michael Vick that he promoted dog fights than I was. However, I sadly note that some who want to put him under the jail, or I've even heard some who wanted him executed for it, are some of the same ones who cheer on the murder of innocent unborn children, and oppose the death penalty for murderers of humans. But, enough of that - let us move on.

I was sitting in my chair and I sort of moaned when I moved and it hurt my leg. Suddenly there was a little black nose with two button black eyes behind it right up in my face. I promise you that there was a look of concern as if he was asking, "Are you alright?" Sometimes it amazes me to watch these animals as they show their own individual "personality."

In our extended family: our house, our son's house, and our daughter and son-in-law's house, we have four dogs. Each one is interesting in its on way.

IN OUR HOUSE. We have two dogs at home.

One is actually my youngest son's dog, Foxy. She is a mixture of Chihuahua and some kind of terrier and weighs around six pounds, making her the smallest of all the dogs. Yet, without question, she is the top dog in the pecking order. Foxy is one of the smartest dogs I have ever seen. She has a very large understanding vocabulary. We can tell her which room in the house to go to and she goes. We can tell her whose car to get into and she will go to it. When we get ready to leave the house, she watches to see if all of us are getting ready to go. If one person is not getting ready she settles down in the room where that person is. If all of us are getting ready she goes to her "house," a fabric house made for small dogs, in the kitchen, where she will stay while we are gone. When we come home at night she gets excited and runs around. But, on Wednesday nights she always goes back to her house, because she seems to somehow know that we are going to leave again. We have never figured out how she knows. She absolutely adores Chris, our son, and she sleeps with him every night. He is about to leave for college, and we are a little worried about how she is going to react when he is not home very often anymore.

Our second dog at home is Mikey. Technically he is Barbara's Mischievous Michaiah, and the only registered dog that we have. He is a registered Maltese. He weighs in at about 8 pounds. Mikey is not anywhere near as smart as Foxy, though he actually has his moments. He is one of the gentlest animals I have ever seen. He is not very fond of being around non-family members, but he is very loving. As you walk down the hall you will feel his little nose touch your leg as he follows you. He loves to curl up next to you, or at your feet. One of his favorite positions in on my shoulder looking backwards. Maltese are like poodles in that they shed very little, but have to be brushed and groomed. He absolutely hates to be brushed. He just lowers his ears and stands there looking miserable every time my wife brushes him. Mikey is simply a gentle sweet companion.

OUR DAUGHTER'S HOUSE
Carol Leah and Tommy have a Jack Russell Terrier named Belle. Belle weighs around 11 or 12 pounds. Belle loves to eat, but she is not overweight. If you know anything about Jack Russells you can guess why she is not overweight. When I got her she was the runt of the litter, and her personality reflects that. Belle is feisty and curious. I love to watch her after she has been given a bath. She makes a mad dash around the house, stopping and rolling every once in a while. It is like she is saying get this clean off of me! Belle loves to be dressed up. You can put a little outfit on her, or a collar that jingles, and she absolutely will show it off to anyone that will look. She gets her feelings hurt when you take it off. She has been a great pet for the family, and now our little grandson Thomas (9 months old) is just crazy about her.

OUR SON'S HOUSE
Our oldest son lives in Meridian, MS. He has Zoey. She is a mix of border collie and lab, and maybe some other things. She has a beautiful black coat. She weighs in at about 32 pounds. She thinks, however, that she should be a lap dog. I think that she believes she is the same size as the other three dogs. Clif claims that she is not very bright. She is, however, a very sweet dog. Oh, she can get into things, and has at times thought that she was a beaver, judging by the furniture she has gnawed on at his house. Clif says that his house is so very lonely if for some reason she is not there when he is at home. Again, she obviously adores him, and the feeling is mutual.

If your aren't a dog lover you may not be able to understand what I am writing. If you are then you probably understand the things that I cannot express about dogs. I cannot imagine ever intentionally harming one. They are like a member of the family. Not too long ago we lost another dog. She got away and was run over. Our whole family mourned the loss of that dog. If you have never loved a dog you probably don't understand. If you have, you know how we felt.

I believe that God has given those of us who love dogs our dogs to help our hearts grow even larger. I believe that a loving dog can make us even enjoy life more. They can be too loud. They can be messy. They can get on our nerves. But can't most humans, too?

I believe that good dogs are the most loyal and trusting animals, and that their whole existence is designed to please you. I'm glad we have dogs, and I will miss them when they are gone.

That's just my thoughts on dogs - that's my Komment!

Kelly's Korner Komplaints

I have always heard of a man who, as he entered his house, would walk by a certain tree and touch it. Finally, someone asked him why he did this. He said that the tree was his trouble tree, and that he touched it and left all the troubles of his day there before he went into his house. Well, in this modern age, I have decided to do a blog occasionally, under the title listed above, that can serve as my "troubles tree."

Kelly's Kurrent Komplaints:

• I made one of the worst decisions of my life back in April when I decided to have knee surgery. First of all, I had it on Friday the 13th of April (I didn't used to be superstitious about that). I was told it should be easy, and the recovery simple. My second mistake was believing that!
• A couple of weeks after the surgery my calf was swollen like a very hard balloon. They found a blood clot, and I had to go in the hospital for that.
• My son had his first starring role in a play, as Tevia in Fiddler on the Roof. The first of the four performances was at 7:00 PM on Thursday night May 3. Performances followed on Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon. At 5:00 PM on Thursday, May 3, I was admitted to Jackson Hospital, and I was not released until the following Wednesday. I missed every performance of the play (though several friends, including my son-in-law did give me dvd's and tapes). [Are you crying for me yet?]
• Following the hospitilization was the great fun of blood thinners. It seemed to be going well, but one day, after I had had a blood test, they called me and said, "Don't cut yourself, or bruise yourself; your blood is messed up and you could bleed profuselly." Yet more fun.
• I believe that it is due to the walking funny for my knee that I am now suffering with back problems. Every symptom says that I have a ruptured disk. I went to the doctor on July 8, and he made an appointment for me to see the neurosurgeon - August 13th. It only hurts when I stand, sit, walk, or lay down. The last time I had a ruptured disk they were able to treat it with injections. I hope that they can this time. Right now I am functioning thanks to pain medication.
• I hate measuring time by when my next pain pill is. I dislike intently taking pain medication in the first place.

THERE ARE OTHER THINGS I COULD KOMPLAIN ABOUT, BUT THAT WILL SUFFICE FOR NOW.