Losses

Today the world lost twice. The witting, observant and funny George Carlin died today. My husband and I have both been fans of his stand-up -maybe our entire lives. We have a few of his HBO specials and Deer is always retelling Carlin’s joke at the right times to crack me up. Sometimes he just says part of a joke in the right place/time and I know the rest well enough that I laugh. The world lost, but heaven gained. I know Carlin told many jokes that were irreverent, but I can’t imagine that God wouldn’t appreciate Carlin’s comical observations and insist that he join the party.
The second loss was my best friend’s grandpa. He had been ill for awhile and he had lived a very long life. My friend’s family has always been like a surrogate family for me. It was much worse for me when her maternal grandpa died. He lived in our hometown and treated me almost like one of his own grandkids. Her paternal grandpa live in New York State, so I didn’t know him like her other grandpa. I remember when her grandparents would visit for a week or so in the summer or when they would take trips to NY to visit them. I remember he was nice. I remember my friend telling me stories that her grandpa had told her. I remember strange stuff- like he had funny old man shorts and knobby knees like my friends brother. I don’t remember much.
Today people I care about are hurting and the only consolation that I can think of is- the pain and suffering for those that have left this world has ended. Maybe her grandpas and George Carlin are sitting around heaven petting all the dogs they once loved and exchanging jokes and stories.