Various Silver Lining-y Thingies
- All this is happening on 3/21–like a countdown! Weird but cool. Also, 21 is 7 x 3 so if you believe in the Holy numbers of Scripture that’s kind of a happy coincidence.
- All this is happening on Good Friday, so while I’ll always remember the bad, it’s tied in with that good comfort of the day in general.
- My brother Tom can always make me laugh
- I have a lot of people around who understand and sympathise or empathise. I can never remember which one is grammatically correct.
- Maybe this will spur me on to learn the difference between sympathy and empathy.
- My friend Jill can always make me laugh.
- My sister and parents will listen patiently to my tearful ramblings without hanging up or calling men with straightjackets.
- My brother Dave cared enough about our grief to explain pet death to his (very) young children so they could pray for us.
- Eating Cadbury Eggs while watching the Ten Commandments–the Easter tradition where I revert to a 9 year old–is right on schedule.
- Lost was pretty good last night.
- My sister was already scheduled to come down for Spring Break in a week. She’ll be good company for me, and her dog Sophie will be good company for Quinn. The break in our routine will be a healing distraction.
- I have a really good excuse to watch Arrested Development DVDs and will have “Big Yellow Joint” running thru my head in no time.
Just Another Pretty Farce 
Sympathy=feelings of compassion/pity/etc. for someone else
Empathy=the same, but with the added dimension that you’ve gone through whatever it is they’re going through
It’s nice to use the English degree every so often. Thanks.
I will remember this by remembering that “empathy” starts with “me” only backwards–I’ve already gone through it.
God bless you, and God bless the Internet.
So sorry about your dog… I can only imagine what deep feelings of sorrow that is stirring up. They really are like children. The unconditional love my cat gives me is amazing.
Re: “Arrested Development” — all the episodes are available via Hulu.com — I missed out on them while on TV – and have been overjoyed catching up on the misadventures of the Bluths. Anyway, hulu rocks and is totally free. All you do is sign up.
“All this is happening on Good Friday, so while I’ll always remember the bad, it’s tied in with that good comfort of the day in general. ”
You know, I kept thinking something along these lines at our church’s Maundy Thursday service last night. At our church, we have this eerie tradition where we “strip the church” during the last song on Maundy Thursday. All adornments and decorations come down ceremoniously (we’re Methodists, there are a lot of them), and the normally ornate sancutary is barren while everyone walks out in silence. It’s always very moving.
But, the whole time, I’m having a hard time getting into the solemn mood. I kept thinking, “Death, where is thy sting? You have no power – you lose. I know the end of the story”.
Is it a sin to start feeling Easter early? I want my happy ending.
Anyway, God bless you, Kat.