Jared

I really need to update the last few weeks here, but I have so many things which have been on hold that I need to catch up on or take care of. I'll have to make only a comment or two now, and then just get to this when I can.

Our son was hadn't been well for quite a few years before his death. A few years ago, he told us that two different hospitals he'd been in had diagnosed him with schizoaffective disorder.

I think I'll just post this song for now.

I miss him.

At Jared's memorial service, Two of our friends, Diane Hull and Andrew Doria, so beautifully sang this song, which expresses so many of the emotions involved in all this. I had put the words together, altering some of the original words to fit these circumstances, about a year and a half ago. I had called it "Song for Jared" because I had a feeling that we might be needing it for him at some point.

Song for a Son
[sung to Josh Groban's "February Song"
Click 'Play' below to hear how it would
go with the melody.]

(Parent)
Where has our dear son gone,
Off in a lost and lonely song
One day before too long
He’ll open his eyes, open his eyes.

(Son)
Where is that simple day
Before colors broke into shades.
How did I ever fade
Into this night, into this night.

I never wanted to let you down.
How did my world slip away?
All that I am is still inside.
You'll know the one who I am
Again someday.

Morning is waking up
Sometimes it hurts to bear so much.
Prayer for the peace and love
That God can impart,
Quiets my heart.

I never wanted to let you down.
How did my world slip away?
Can't find myself on solid ground
'Cause I keep on falling, as I fight to
Find my place within this world.
Fight to find my place within this world.

I never wanted to let you down.
Forgive me for slipping away.
Even the lost, our Lord makes found.
I will be waiting, and I'll see you there some day.

Now that our dear son’s gone
Finished his lost and lonely song.
Tell him it won't be long
'Til he opens his eyes
And we’re at his side.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

Okay, I actually DID make the July 4th treats =o)

They were completely darling. I opted not to do the printed tissue paper, as it took a ridiculously long time to get them to print since our printer feeds from the top, and wouldn't pull the tissue paper through properly. Even so, the way they turned out was amazing. Our kids were all SO impressed with how they looked, and so were the people we gave them to.

This picture doesn't show the cute little red-checkered baskets,
but we made those, also.

Would I make them again? Um.... probably not.

Why? Two reasons.

Reason One: They took FOREVER to make. I sometimes take on projects that I know ahead of time are going to take a long time, and this was one of them. I did a lot of what needed to be done before the 4th, with the help of my 16 year old, Jenni. But they still took waaaaaaaaay longer to do than I imagined. It was fun making them, but really, REALLY time-consuming!

Reason Two: They looked fabulous. But they only tasted so-so, in my opinion. The dessert I usually make for the 4th looks great (but not in the adorable way these did) and it tastes fabulous.

The little sugar cookie french fries were yummy. But when it came to the hamburgers, it was a different story. The brownie part of them was fine. But I'm not big on frosting, and these had lots of it. If it had been chocolate frosting, I might have felt a little differently about it. But then the colors would have been all wrong, now wouldn't they?

Then I wasn't fond of the cupcake part of it either. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't anything special. All in all, the hamburgers weren't inedible, but they were only okay.

So the bottom line for me is that:

Merely "Looking Good" Is Not Good Enough!

I just realized though, that it will make a great story to use in a talk or a lesson sometime to illustrate that very point. =o)