Fershuetta

How do you stop from being mad? It is not an emotion I am exactly fond of. I believe it covers up some other feeling inside you. I do not think it is your right if you are mad to spout off your mouth and hurt others feelings... but hey, I am normal I was really feeling some deep seated anger and some nice slinging language in my gut. When I got home I heard on the answering machine... "yah, this is Tim - Fairyetta's (fayetta's) house went for $29,500. Well I am telling you I laughed so hard that the anger was gone almost instantly - but lets not bring it up again!

Everyday life - another moment

It was a cold in McCloud at the "Loving Tender Care" unit. I believe it was in November.
The Hospice room was still occupied with the lady who came in September. Her death sentence from this life was only a few days and yet we were going on months here... her family forever by her side. The family had asked that staff and visitors not come... she had wanted to go on this journey with just those very close to her. Staff was very respectful and nursing just went in when they had to. Our Department did not need to go in at all. Once in awhile you would get a glimpse of her husband and you could give him a smile to help his day... that was really the only way I could help. One day while gathering down the hall (there is a hospice room there) - something happened that I will never forget and yet it is hard to write so that you can fully understand the beauty of everyday life that is offered to us.


There was music coming from somewhere. I thought they must have a CD player on in one of the rooms and went to find out what they were listening to. I discovered it was coming from the Hospice room and we weren't to go in there. I just casually looked in and listened at the same time. Standing at the foot of the Hospice bed was a man playing the violin. I knew the man and have heard him play before. He is wonderful, and yet this music was like something I have never heard before. If you could capture everything beautiful into time - you would have the moment I am talking about. I stood there and witnessed the true miracle of people coming together for the sake of another. The music he played on his violin was the balm of Jesus flowing through out that whole place. There was no pain, no sorrow, no worries, just heavens sunshine filling every space there was! Oh how I thank the Lord for these moments.

The next week I was able to talk to the husband who was in the commons room. I told him I had gotten the privilege to listen to some of the music last week. He then proceeded to tell me the most beautiful story. He told me that John had played at his wedding. John was about a 14 year old boy at the time. Trying to think of how he could make this day special he had called him to see if he could come and play some music for his wife. He wasn't sure John was in the area (he hadn't actually seen them sense the wedding) but he looked up his number and did indeed call him. No answer, so he put a message on the machine.

John just happened to be stopping by the house to finish up business before leaving that night on to Florida for the winter. When he listened to the message he called, and explained that he would be in shortly - he was leaving but he would be happy to come and play for them. John says: Violens have a sound similar to the human voice. Violin sounds bring joy, comfort and excitement. They have been called magical because of the things that happen to people when they hear the sounds.


Can you imagine? All the things that had to come together for this to happen? Can you feel that someone else was in charge? Even in our time of dying the Lord offers us comfort and hope through other people. You never know when you will be at Heavens door right here on earth. Helping someone be ushered through it! What a privilege I have been given. Thank - you Jesus for these moments!

(The names and dates have been changed, These stories are true only in my mind)

Everything

As I look around this place - all I really have is you...
Oh how I love you my friend,
You have been with me all of my life, holding my hand, playing house, barbies what ever I wanted to do. We were way out there in the country just you and me, really we had no friends but I don't think we ever knew it. We were all we really needed. A few clock radios to take a part, a few toy tractors, some watches and a family love that no one else around us had. I think they wondered about us... you and me... they may have thought we were a bit strange, all the places we went in that car that never moved. All the picnics we had with no food. All the houses we lived in with dirt floors, and the dandelions we cooked up for supper. Who could have ever known that after all these years, all these miles... it would still be me and you? I love you my brother. And, all I really have is you God - I have everything!

I understand

So as I write this with knowledge of what pku is I venture a little more in to a time in my parents life that I can't really understand - as I was young. With the "Meyer" family being so big and everyone having lots of kids I started to wonder why I was the baby and there were no more? My dad loved children and my mom was a hard worker and obviously loved us - so would she eventually have more children? I never thought a whole lot about it until I got older and we were at a family reunion on the Meyer side. There were 100's of people there. All of the families were bigger than ours. Questions ran through my mind as a young 13 year old... didn't my mom and dad like kids? Didn't they have enough money to have anymore? Was there something wrong with my mom that she couldn't have anymore? The list when on and on in my juvenile mind, it never once occured to me that what my brother Jeff had (pku) could be given to other children. I never understood why you wouldn't want anymore children as I never realized there was anything wrong with Jeff. I figured everyone had a Jeff and was as lucky as I was. I remember the ladies who babysat us, Clara and Ursie. They said "they wouldn't take a million dollars for Jeff, but they wouldn't give a penny for another one". They were older ladies and the work had gotten to much for them as Jeff was a hand full. With this statement and the maturing of my mind I started to realize more of the facts that Jeff was indeed different than me and other kids that I knew. He took a lot of care with his special diet and special needs. And although my mom and dad loved us both very much, it would be to much of a risk to have another child. So like Clara and Ursie said "We wouldn't take two million dollars for Jeff" he was ours and we loved him so but two kids were enough... and I finally understand.

I can't

Hello everyone! I have some stories I want to post about my favorite brother, Jeffrey Alan Meyer. Before I can do any of that I have to start with a few facts so you can better understand the stories. Jeff has phenylketonuria... or he is known as a phenylketonuric... does that sound serious or what? There are so many stories I want to share for the future generations - so the understanding of this word will be important. Jeff was born on April 14th, 1958. He was the cutest little boy you ever did see and I hope to get a picture of him posted soon. In 1958 they did not do the PKU testing on new born babies (It became a law in 1960 that all babies born would be tested for this genetic disorder, because brain damage could be prevented by a strict diet). It was a little known genetic disorder that he did not get tested for until 1960 (shortly before my birth). By then there had been two years of brain damage from protein. With this genetic disorder the dad carries one bad and one good gene and the mom carries one bad gene and one good gene. Jeff got both the bad genes - thus leaving him without an enzyme in his brain that dissolves protein. As he drank and ate protein - the phenylalanine level in his brain caused brain damage. My grandma Meyer (who had 10 children of her own, and many grandchildren by now) told my dad that she thought there was something wrong with Jeff as he wasn't walking yet and just seemed behind... she suggested going to a Dr. My mom was already pregnant with me when the testing began at the University of Minnesota. They had done most of the tests and told my parents they couldn't find anything wrong - he was just probably going to be slow - but, there was one more test they would run with a possibility of 1 in 100,000 that he could have. The test was done and they were called in to indeed find out this is what their precious son had... PHENYLETONURIA. Sometimes I try to imagine what it must have been like for my mom and dad at this moment... but I can't -

Spider man underwear!

It was the day before Easter and we were celebrating with some swimming at the Holiday Inn. Well, it is going on 8:00, 2 straight hours of swimming, showing us their tricks. It is time to get out of the water and end our day together. Daddy pulls him out with a very loud, long protest from our little Conner. The wailing goes on as we walk through all the people. JaciAnna holds my hand not quite understanding what could have her brother so upset! When we get to our room Conner laid on the bed next to his Papa, face in his hands and still crying. How long can this possibly go on? Was there something I didn't see? Did he get his heart crushed somehow? If there is one thing a grammie isn't to good with anymore... it is that sad sounding cry from a tired little guy! Grammie Pammie asks if we put on the new "spider man" underwear if that will help... ahhhh papa says "I want spider man underwear too!" He lifts his head up and says "papa you need the big underwear!" After he gets his new red and blue spider mans on he says in his most gentle sweet voice..."Papa, am I really cool with these on?" ... and if needed I will buy 100 more pairs of spider man underwear if I can stop the cry of this wee little guy!

Moments

Asleep on the bed, crisp white pillow against his skin. Slight lines appear on his skin, not like aging but more like a life well lived. With his eyes closed against the light of the day - I realize it was a nap time for Delbert, and yet he has a big smile on his lips for all to enjoy. "Come on in, now I see who you are, I would love to sit and have a "reading". That is what he calls it. Sometimes he reads to me from the pages of his big print bible but today I will read to him from Acts chapter 13. I read and he listens and the more I read words I didn't understand the more I understood them. After chapter 13 is read he told me he is not tired and was thinking about getting out his guitar... Oh how I love these moments! Carefully he takes out the electric guitar from its case and sets all the dials. His kids bought him this guitar... they wouldn't tell him the price - but, he knows he tells me that it was no cheap purchase! He holds the guitar and strums with long musical fingers calloused from many years of holding down metal strings. We take out the music books and start to sing. My favorite was when he started singing "I'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold, I'd rather have Jesus than stories untold..." His 92 year old tenor voice filled that small room and the presence of God was ushered in - my insides were filled with a magical love - it was no longer Delbert and I singing - it was a choir of angels telling our hearts stories of days gone by and days on the road to Heaven. My time with Delbert is time spent with the Lord - why is that I have been blessed to spend this moment in time with this wonderful man? How can I ever thank this 92 year old man for what he has given me? To be escorted to the gates by this man, to hear Heaven in my heart, to feel the brush of angels wings on my face and to know the God he sings to is the one who loves me too! Lord, how I love these moments... THANK-YOU!

(The names, dates, places have been changed, these stories are true only in my mind)