With the 80th anniversary of my birth only a few weeks away the temporary nature of my being is never far from my consciousness. I am well beyond my expiration date and Mother Nature keeps reminding me that I’m no longer the young man I once was. I have lost many old friends, but when a relatively young member of the family dies unexpectedly it is quite a shock.
Last night I received a call from one of my adult granddaughters informing me of the passing of her Uncle Mark. He was the 61 year old “significant other” of one of my twin stepdaughters. He was not in good health, but no one thought he was anywhere near death’s door.
He has been living with my stepdaughter since well before the birth of their 25 year old daughter, an only child who was recently married. (More on that later.)
He had suffered a major stroke more than six years ago that affected his ability to speak, as well as, other functions. Since then, he has experienced several seizures that modern medicine has been unable to explain or control. He had always been somewhat reclusive, but after the stroke he essentially became a hermit, and rarely left the house except for Dr. visits. Although he lived less than a mile from my home I rarely saw him, he didn’t participate in family gatherings, even those which took place at his residence.
Despite his isolation, I always thought he was a decent fellow until I attended his daughter’s wedding last fall. Mark did not attend. There was no explanation for his absence. The bride, my granddaughter, must have been terribly disappointed. She hid it well. She had been very close to her dad while growing up. My respect for him declined significantly that day. I still can’t understand how a man can fail to attend his only daughter’s wedding. And now he’s gone.
What a sad situation. But our family will adapt to the new reality and continue our journey to the future. Enjoy the time you have here, because it may suddenly come to an end. Your happiness is only temporary at best.
Every kid down in Kidville liked reading a LOT But the Left, who controlled education, did NOT! They wouldn’t say why, but we all know one reason: To read the wrong book means you’re guilty of treason
They also just hated the folks on the Right They said we’re oppressors –- at least, if we’re white But I think that the most likely reason of all May have been that their brains were two sizes too small
Whatever the reason, their brains or their hate They cancelled the books that they deemed out of date They stared at the kids from their i-vory tower While focusing all of their brainwashing power
“We can’t let them read Dr. Seuss!” they’d exclaim We have to get started erasing his name We’ll target six books with some troublesome art While keeping in mind that it’s only the start
“Kids LOVE Dr. Seuss!” said the folks on the Right They knew they were facing a censorship fight “He taught children how to be loving and kind And how they could grow up to be ‘color-blind’”
“Color-blind??!” screamed the left, their eyes practically bleeding We MUST find a way to keep children from reading! To think, the un-wokeness their minds could retain They’re reading the Bible! They’re reading Mark Twain!
“And old Dr. Seuss, he’s the worst of the lot If kids want to read him, we’ll say they must NOT! We’ll say he’s a bigot and lacks credibility And give all the children that book WHITE FRAGILITY
“We’ll find all the books that aren’t focused on race And gather them up, and we’ll hide them someplace We’ll substitute books that reflect our obsession With transgender studies and racial oppression
The kids down in Kidville would all cry boo-hoo When they found out what leftists decided to do The fun books were gone, and they felt really feel sad The white kids were taught they deserve to feel bad
But parents arose, they had had quite enough They fought for their kids, and it got pretty rough They went to the School Board, and all had their say And their courage and heart grew three sizes that day!
They brought back the books that the left had rejected And made sure that freedom of speech was protected The books were all safe and were put to good use And we, ourselves, honor the ones…by…Dr. Seuss!
