Eric' Sunday Sermon; A Drop In The Bucket

Please reader take just one old second – oops, my son tells me not to use idioms as his little half Vietnamese mind takes them literally. But then he laughs and says I am “pissing into the wind”. That boy can run away from my backhand faster than that guy Bolt. Excuse this old preacher man but if you are not having a wonderful full half a day laugh you are part braindead. Excuse me but I am up doing a jig to Petty and the Wilbury group. If you never get up from your chair and dance with yourself, again I remind you that you are part brain dead. I can smell that Pho’ I am cooking with my boy outside playing and my face is contorted by my smile. Well if you do not do something close to that you are part brain dead. If you do not hop in your car and turn the music up full blast you are probably another part brain dead. If you don’t get out and work in the garden or go for a walk either smiling at neighbors or loving nature you are clearly…. Well you get the point.

Yoga and by that I mean good long stretching and opening points that are key to health. Reading a real book that gets your ears smoking with thought. (you can do that during your constitutional ;-) Drinking so really clean spring water. Making your bed so when you lie down you just hug yourself for just a great day. Dusting/cleaning a favorite picture. Using some great tool or kitchen utensil. Putting on that great dress and whatever to look great. Getting home before your spouse and doing their cleaning for them. No way to leave out that long shower or soaking bath. Praying.

And just for me. Hugging someone. Letting you loved one sit on your lap and kissing them on the head. My, my teaching someone something new. Double checking that your child looks great for school and spanking them on the butt on their way out the door. Do not leave out our great dog buddies.

I have a confession. I want heaven to be a constant challenge. Lacing up those skids of any notion and going out to kick your own butt is like the best of the best. Give me a pack a third my weight and send me up a mountain and you will be a bit angry with my joy. You just have to test yourself cooking for loved ones. We just have to try to out sing or play the pro musicians. It is so weird but I try to love my wife more than anyone, not really a competition but kind of.

When was the last time you shook your booty? Here is a good one; crawl like a baby on the floor. But the best is crawling backwards. Hey see someone and shake their hand. But hold on one second longer (not more because it is weird) And smile with your eyes. Please do not forget this one. Get a blanket and go out at night and check out the heavens. Truly this is a good one. We never ever ever eat fast foods, but do it once, get home early eat up and hit the sack early. And then beat the sun up to make it wake up on you with those crazy early morning birds.

Now I do not mean to stress anyone out. But parents and siblings and extended family are more than awesome. Half mine don’t speak English and the others like to hammer me on my faith, golly gee I love ‘em. Get some kids or grand kids. They will make you pull your hair out and then they are so sweet you just melt.

Nothing to do. You had better just make time for it. It loosens up the muscles and recharges everything about you. If you go all uneasy with it like my wife, just keep doing it. Let us not even start with the gardening. If you walk out or up to my door you get overwhelmed by the sweet scent of roses. My boy and I hang there and with a loop and magnifying glass check out the bugs. Isn’t that silly. But our rock and mineral collection might trump that.

Do that sport you did as a kid. From basketball to fishing to roller-skating or my fav Hopscotch. That one is so fun neighbor kids join in. But I have to play soccer and gymnastics also. Maybe I am having too much fun with all this stuff. Which reminds me about writing. Sit down and write a list of what you like a whole lot. Put it on the fridge and check it every day. And then sit down and write a list about what bugs or worries you. I burn mine with a candle. But you can just flush yours right down the toilet. Yikes! Tear it up first we don’t want any clogging.

Now I have this little bug called cancer. I am so happy that it is not busting my will. But the cool thing is when I do good healty stuff to slam down under my foot I just feel great. You have a hurdle and it is time you took action to whoop it. You will find so much encouraging yourself that you can hardly wait to wake up and do it again. We do not need to win we just have to get it done. Truth be told that brings me back to what I said about my heaven.

I have some bad news for you. You are going to read the above and think that your problems and responsibilities are just too hard. That you are not only allowed to be happy but you must be responsible. That reminds me of my young boy who sometimes cries when I whoop him in some competition. Man I have to fight back my sad tears when he whoops me. Funny maybe but I tell him. Competition is a win win situation, well if you like the challenge and look forward to the next opportunity to do better. Beating me at chess is just wrong for an eight year old.

My dad was a fine man. He boxed his way through Med. School at Yale. He taught me to throw a curve and a slider. Told me it was art. He did his bugle in Hollywood and got me a clarinet. And then taught me how to shoot a rifle. And with mom he taught me how to dance. That footwork made me a hurdler and boxer. I headed on to grad school and wasted the skills.

The fact that we were both working for W.H.O. when he passed was icing on a damned fine cake that hugged me. I do not weep or do sorrow when folks die. And I do not get all drunk at a wake. I just celebrate and hope to meet them either sooner or later.

Well let us remember thissy here is a sermon so there must be a point to all this spouting off. God covers me if I let Him. I think God is the Father of my best buddy. I think there is His glowing light in Love. Probably you love me. I don’t even just get to love you back. I get to love you even if you do not love me. So like all of the above, hallelujah. We can do it. Just get happy and do not stop loving the one your with, go ahead I give your permission to love life and all of us no good rotten scoundrels.

Let me end with this; This is a fantastic “sermon”. Isn’t that fun to declare your win? Now you do it!