I'll Huff and I'll Puff

I have a cancer vent from last weekend and an election vent.

A 60-year-old woman that Dori visited at VUMC earlier this fall died Friday. The aunt of a mom at our school, she was a breast cancer survivor and was battling blood cancer. After a visit to the ICU earlier this fall, she recovered then declined rapidly.

Sunday at church, our family saw a five-year-old girl we know who is battling blood cancer. Wearing a cap, she walked with her sister in communion line. She was smiling and looked beautiful, but the sight was a lot to process. The emotions I felt were nothing like what Dori experienced. I looked over as she buried her cries into her hands. The young girl's parents, who we know and think a lot of, smiled at me as they passed. I acknowledged them with a wink and pat.

Cancer deaths and family upheaval tick me off every time. I had to edit that sentence to clean it up, but I won't edit this next one. If cancer had nuts, it'd be tired of me kicking them. ... On to the one cheerier thing of the evening.

Basketball practice tonight was "awesome," according to my son. I thought it went fine, but I was glad to hear his recap. The first practice is always the most interesting. Things haven't changed since I coached 14 years ago: There's a cat-herding element to coaching eight- and nine-year-old boys. We seem to have a good group. Most listened and all worked on things we were "coaching up." I'm glad we're underway.

Most RFD loyalists know I don't do politics on this blog. That said, I share the following about this and every election. No party or person, in my mind, has the "correct or best" answers, despite statements, media reporting and marketing to the contrary. I have my views, just like you do, and believe elections are important. I think I've voted in every election - primary and general - since I turned 18.

Like I mentioned in my review of The Shack last month, I believe the ultimate answers come from God, not government. That holds true for whatever faith is your coffee - Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, whatever. There's a lot of good stuff in those coffees, if you avoid the more radical flavors. Like Dori and I discussed last night at dinner with friends, political parties and their candidates are temporal; God's plan is eternal. Seems like a whole lot of folks these days aren't down with that.

I have no faith in how government will help you, me or anyone achieve eternal life. Maybe some candidate or consultant will make such an outrageous promise in a future campaign. I hope not; some might decide to believe it. I do hope everyone votes. God bless America for that.